Starlight
by Ashishu
Summary: It has been almost half a year since graduation and Natsuki and Shizuru have remained good friends. But, with sudden changes and unforeseen events, Shizuru and Natsuki's relationship is liable to become stronger than ever. M to be safe. Romance/Humor/Drama
1. Eye For An Eye

So, here is yet another installment into the Shiznat Fanfic fanbase :D Not yet certain whether to make this a one-shot or a multi-chapter fic – perhaps some reviews on thoughts would help influence my decision ;P I am still in the midst of having my work beta-read so a large large thank you to my beta readers for their continued help! Hope you all enjoy!

_Italics _= Thoughts

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters; everything belongs to Sunrise.

Chapter 1: Eye for an Eye

Summer had just ended, and the crisp fall air began to descend onto the city. Fuuka Academy was abuzz with new and returning students, all scrambling from one class to the next. Shizuru observed as she stood close to a wall, amusing herself as she watched each student's demeanor as they made their way to their respective classrooms, be it calm or frantic. She still had underclassmen come up to her, giving her gifts and other various forms of attention in adoration. And of course, she gave them their due attention in return: "Oh, thank you. You are too kind," she would say. "I'm glad to see you are doing well. Please stay focused."

Her humble responses weren't without sincerity, as she did grow to care for them while being their student council president. Perhaps it was also the fact that she was no longer apart of the student body, and therefore, didn't have the obligation of entertaining the underclassmen with her attention. Another factor may be that, now that she had graduated and enlisted herself as a Teachers' Aide for the school, she legitimately hoped for her students to maintain a high academic standing. She tutored Japanese History, Japanese Language and Literature, and Business; she also helped out in the Tea Ceremony club, Flower Arrangement club and the Fashion club.

As the energy in the halls finally settled and became quiet, Shizuru continued her steady walk down the hallway. She glanced into classrooms, watching as students settled themselves in their desks for their last class of the day. Resting her right hand on the handles her tote bag, she smoothed out what crinkles she could feel on the front of her tan jacket. No, she no longer wore the jacket that indicated her status as student council president; that jacket was now worn by the current council president - whom she didn't know. Today, she donned a pristine tan suit, complete with a medium-length skirt and chalkboard-black heels.

She turned a corner and smirked when she saw a familiar river of light pour out of a classroom doorframe and onto the linoleum floor. Most other teachers closed their doors, but this teacher had a habit of leaving his open. As she approached the room, she slowed her gait, remaining on the other side of the hall. She quietly peered in, her wine red eyes roaming over the students sitting inside. She could hear the teacher speaking and so she stealthily moved herself to stand behind the door frame so as not to be seen by him. Her eyes roamed again, finally stopping on a young woman with azure-blue hair. She smiled to herself.

The girl in the room sat several rows back from the front, near the window on the opposite side of the room. Her head in her hand, she propped herself up off the desk by her elbow. Though it appeared that she was to attempting to gain some kind of focus, she held a look of marked disinterest that overshadowed her efforts. Shizuru looked at her for a minute, noting her cute, slacked posture while hair draped her face and shoulders. It took only a few seconds for Natsuki's green eyes to glance towards the door as she shifted in her seat. The glance turned into a double-take; the double-take quickly transformed and froze: "What the hell?" Her widened-eyes read, stunned and unsettled.

Shizuru snickered lightly and gave a small wave. The response was what she expected.

"Move along, would ya?" Natsuki mouthed with a small but rapid wave of her hand. Her face strained as it reddened from the embarrassment of having been stared at for who knew how long. After a quick, subtle sweep of her eyes across the room, she was relieved to see that no one had noticed the silent disturbance. Still, her cheeks remained colored.

Shizuru then did something purely for her own entertainment: she winked and blew the girl a kiss.

Natsuki's eyes went large and her face reddened further, taking over almost her entire face. Her fingers gripped the desk while her jaw slackened yet tightened into a strange, open-mouthed semi-smile in incredulous exasperation. She could never get used to her teasing – worse yet when it was in public.

"Ms. Kuga!" The teacher bellowed, catching her inattention.

Startled, Natsuki jumped and looked to the front of the room, her posture instantly straightening. "Y-yes sir!?" Her face was a solid color of scarlet.

Her teacher glared at her through his thick glasses, unimpressed. "Would you please read the second paragraph?" His impatient tone mirrored his eyes.

"Uhh…" She looked down, horrified to remember that she hadn't opened her book. "Y-yes. Um…" She flipped through a few pages. "What… What page are we on?"

He sighed and massaged his forehead with two fingers while a few students snickered. "Two-hundred and thirty."

"Right," she sped to the page and stood up, her face still burning. Her eyes turned to glare at the cause of her embarrassment, who only smiled a sheepish, apologetic smile. Natsuki's teeth ground together as she reluctantly began reading.

Shizuru chuckled softly to herself, knowing she would very likely get a scolding later. She turned and continued her route to the school's front entrance. Once outside, she softly, contentedly inhaled the comfortably-cool air. The grounds were vacant and silent apart from the occasional breeze rustling the grass and trees; she knew, however, that soon everything would not be so tranquil.

She made her way down the long pathway to the main road and seated herself on a wooden bench off to the side. Once settled, she took out a small, thick book from her tote. Opening the book at its bookmark, she placed strands of hair that had fallen over her shoulders to rest behind her ear, and started to read.

Before long, students began to filter out of the school, chatting and laughing. Shizuru hadn't even noticed the change until a few students ran up to her and began chatting excitedly to her, as they often did when the older woman was in this position after school. Shizuru smiled and listened humbly, offering her thanks and congratulations wherever necessary. Eventually, a horn sounded. She looked around and found the familiar dark green Jeep parked at the curb.

"Excuse me," she said politely to her admirers and pupils. "Have a good day." She walked hastily to the car and opened the door. She sat herself in the passenger seat. "Thank you." She marked her place in her book and put it back in her tote. When nothing was said in return, she looked up.

Green eyes looked back at her icily, her hand gripping the steering wheel.

The older woman's eyebrows raised, "Is Natsuki giving me the silent treatment?" she asked, not entirely concerned; for, she knew the other girl too well.

"Yep."

Shizuru smiled to herself – she could hear the ireful tone in Natsuki's simple answer. "Forgive me, Natsuki, but perhaps you should pay more attention?" she offered innocently.

Natsuki's jaw dropped. It was her fault! "I was doing fine until you distracted me!" she said, her 'silent treatment' tactic now defenestrated.

"Ara, but Natsuki, your book wasn't even open," she countered.

The azure-haired girl's eyes widened and reluctantly said nothing for a minute. She had her there. She tried to save herself, "I-I might've noticed sooner if you hadn't…!" she desperately searched for a word that wouldn't bait her.

"Hadn't what, Natsuki?" The innocent tone remained, almost expectant.

Natsuki's head and shoulders dropped – she had already been baited. "Nevermind," she heard the chestnut-haired girl chuckle and said nothing, her cheeks coloring lightly. The younger girl pulled out of her parking spot and left the grounds.

Due to Natsuki's academic record the previous year, she was forced to retake a year in order to officially graduate. She was furious with Shizuru when she found out:

"I thought you took care of my attendance record!" Natsuki had asked her, fuming.

"I did, but unfortunately I couldn't alter your grades." The older girl then responded calmly. "The teachers and student body would have become suspicious. I, therefore, would have likely lost my title as president and you no longer would have had access to the school's database. I'm afraid it was inevitable." She explained, compunctious.

Natsuki then had no choice but to submit to the school: She wanted her diploma, and she didn't want to feel like she enrolled for nothing.

At first, Natsuki thought that Shizuru's decision to tutor was simply to be in the same vicinity and tease her, since they would see each other more often. However, Natsuki later learned that the older woman had applied even before the previous year ended.

"Why do you want to tutor there?" Natsuki later asked her. "Aren't you tired of school?" She asked more out of confusion and her own reluctance to return.

Shizuru lightly shrugged. "I like the idea. And I like helping the students. It makes me feel like I'm giving back for having won out of popularity."

Natsuki initially didn't believe her – a part of her thought she secretly liked the attention of being popular - until she happened to see Shizuru and an underclassman in one of the study rooms: the older girl was the most serious she had ever seen her while at school. The underclassman's excitement at having gotten a question right and the happy look that followed on Shizuru's face made the younger girl unconsciously smile to herself.

Of course, she didn't know how often Shizuru would be there until she'd catch the older walking past her classroom several times. She came to not mind Shizuru being at school with her since, the majority of the time, the older girl was surprisingly professional about her new job.

Their relationship hadn't changed since graduation. In fact, they had perhaps grown closer as friends. Now that everything had ended with First District and the responsibility of being a HiME now nonexistent, they both found more time for themselves, other people and each other. Shizuru was pleasantly stunned the first time Natsuki offered to hang out together somewhere. Normally, it would be Shizuru dragging a reluctant Natsuki to clothing shops and little festivals. Of course, this new change didn't entirely shift Natsuki's obstinate personality when they were together – which is how Shizuru preferred it.

Now, for example, while Natsuki was content with driving Shizuru home – as she often did when the older girl had to tutor at the school that day – her composure was still slightly adamant from having been lured so easily again.

"Where's your bike, may I ask?" Shizuru asked.

"It's in the shop." Natsuki answered casually. "It needed to be inspected."

"I thought you had Mr. Yumada to manage its upkeep?"

"I do, but I'd rather not get a ticket and be penalized for having an improperly-documented bike." She continued, "Besides, I like having a Jeep - I'll have something to drive when it's icy," she unconsciously ran her hands down the steering wheel.

"Speaking of being penalized," Shizuru started, making the other girl glance towards her curiously. "I thought maybe you could come to my apartment today and study for your literature class."

Natsuki felt herself deflate. "I'm doing fine," she stated irritably, trying to avoid any schoolwork while outside of school.

"I'm afraid it doesn't seem so." Shizuru returned, almost dramatically. At Natsuki's quizzical look, she continued, "I managed to see your grades."

Natsuki looked at her, stunned - as though fearful for whatever other privacy the older woman had invaded. "How did you see my grades?" she asked demandingly.

"I tutor for your teacher - he grants me access to his student's records so that I can reach out to whoever might need the help," she stated almost matter-of-factly.

Natsuki felt her face whiten. _Who else does she tutor for?_ She thought weakly to herself, but was too afraid to ask. "W-Well, I… I think I'll be fine," she said stubbornly, not looking at the other girl.

Shizuru calmly looked down to her tote, checking its zipper. "Are you aware that you have an exam next week?" she asked nonchalantly.

The cobalt-haired girl unconsciously gripped the steering wheel tighter. "R… Really?" she slowly turned to look at her, as if begging her to be joking.

Shizuru smiled, humored. Natsuki slowed as they came to Shizuru's apartment complex. The older girl grabbed her tote and made to open the door. "So, I'll see you later tonight?" she inquired, smiling knowingly.

Natsuki was silent for a moment, not looking at the other girl. She shut her eyes, scrunched her face and gripped the steering wheel again, and then released. There was no way out. With a sigh, she acquiesced. "Yep."

The older girl chuckled silently and opened the door. She gave her parting words with a wave, laughing to herself when the azure-haired girl only raised a hand in return. As much as the younger girl accused Shizuru of being dramatic, the same could be said about Natsuki, Shizuru thought.

_Tonight might be a difficult night._ They both thought with a sense of jest, each foreseeing the trouble the other would bring to a simple study session.

Natsuki dropped her bags onto the floor next to the door. She walked the short distance from the door to her cheap loveseat sofa and, with a huff, she collapsed onto said sofa. Her apartment was small. Very small. The general purpose of the complex was to house students and, therefore, only provided the bare necessities: Whatever electronics you needed, you had to buy yourself. She didn't mind, however – she didn't need much to be comfortable. She had been to Shizuru's apartment and, of course, it was much larger; but then, the older girl could afford it thanks to her family's wealth.

Natsuki still received a respectable amount of money from her father - who was otherwise nonexistent in the affairs of her current life. However, she wanted to become more independent and not rely on a parent who - outside of providing her means of survival by way of money - didn't care about her emotional and mental welfare since before her mother's death. She didn't care to think of him, however: the questions, the memories, the feelings of betrayal and abandonment… they would swirl within her once again and make her body tighten like it had all through the previous school year when she was a HiME, searching for tightly-sealed answers to 'forbidden questions'. She didn't want to think of how she was then – when she cared for no one, believing that no one cared for her; of being blinded by vengeance. Though she never noticed it, the people around her saw the contrast between the Natsuki before the festival, and the Natsuki after - now she was, finally, content.

Natsuki heard a knock. "Who is it?" she called.

"It's your neighbor!" The familiar voice called back gaily, muffled by the door.

Natsuki chuckled to herself as she forced herself off the sofa and opened the door. There stood the stood the bronze-redhead she expected. "Mai, again, you live four floors above me. Unfortunately, I don't think that constitutes us being 'neighbors'." Natsuki informed with a smirk.

"If you're within walking distance for a cup of sugar, you're a neighbor." Mai returned, her cheerful disposition unwavering. With a small tone of seriousness, she then continued, "I just came by to ask if you could cover my shift tonight?"

Mai had pushed and prodded Natsuki to work with her at her waitressing job after the cobalt-haired girl began expressing interest in getting a job and accumulating her own income. As one would suspect of Natsuki and her personality, the cobalt-haired girl had a difficult time learning to be the subordinate of anybody. School was one thing, but catering to the needs of several people within one timeframe tested Natsuki's tolerance multiple times. She would have gotten fired several times if it weren't for Mai jumping in to save her, telling her boss that Natsuki would, from then on, be her responsibility. It got easier once Mai taught her how to control her impulses and, eventually, Natsuki was able to work without Mai having to be there. Sure, her patience would run thin often. But, if she wanted to make money, she figured, she'd have to learn to hone her emotions (at least while working).

"Sorry, can't." Natsuki replied contritely. She leaned against the door frame.

Mai looked at her, surprised. "Really? I thought you were looking for extra hours?"

"Yeah, but I have a tutoring session tonight," she answered, brooding at the thought.

"Tutor?" Mai quirked a brow, skeptical. "Since when did you start caring enough about your grades to meet with a tutor?" she joked.

"Since Shizuru informed me that I have an exam next week and my grades are terrible."

"Oh," she said lightly. There was a pause. "How's that going, by the way?" she asked, slightly curious.

"Good." Natsuki fiddled with her shirt as she spoke, as if finding something to busy her fingers. "We're still really good friends and still she seems okay with me not being able to harbor the feelings she has for me, so I'm glad for that," she answered with an air of comfortable confidence.

"Oh, well that's good." She said with a small, genuine smile. "I was actually asking about her tutoring job, but, I'm glad you two are doing well in that regard too," she finished truthfully.

"Oh." Natsuki felt herself blush a little, embarrassed at having assumed the wrong thing. "She likes it. Tutoring, I mean." She answered speedily, now fiddling with her loose hair. "Why did you want me to work your shift, by the way? What are you doing tonight?" she asked, changing the subject so as to save her from fiddling with anything else.

"I thought I had the night off and made a date with Tate," she sighed sullenly.

"Why don't you ask some of the other girls?" Natsuki offered.

"Nah, I'll just postpone the date. I'll need the money anyway."

"For what?"

"For the next date."

Natsuki looked at her incredulously. "_You _pay for the dates?" She couldn't help her protective nature towards her friends.

"Not always." Mai defended. "Tate's job as assistant Kendo instructor doesn't pay as well as my job does, so I feel I should help out here and there."

"Hm." Natsuki wasn't impressed, but didn't say anything. "Maybe Takao could lend some advice with getting money," she said jokingly.

"Takao? Our cook? Ha! That 'playboy' spends money faster than he earns it!" She laughed. "I know he's a good guy and is good for favors, but no."

Natsuki chuckled. Takao wasn't much older than either of them and called himself a playboy when he really wasn't. He was one of the few men Natsuki didn't mind being around.

"I should probably head back up before Mikoto starts crawling down the stairs for me out of hunger." Mai said after checking her watch. "See you!" She waved as she turned.

"See you." Natsuki went to shut the door.

"Have a good time!" Mai called.

Natsuki didn't know if she was kidding or not. Either way, she muttered her "Thank you" and shut the door.

Once parked, she went around to the back seat and reached in to heave the heavy book bag over her shoulder. She initially didn't want to out of laziness, but she put every book her literature class had been using in the bag. Something told her that Shizuru already had every book the classes used to ensure her own preparedness for her tutoring sessions. But, just in case – to provide Shizuru with some sense of her own austerity towards wanting to get her diploma this year, and to avoid any scolding from her, however light it might be – she brought them all.

She walked from her parking space, through the guest lot, and came up to the front of the tall apartment complex. This complex housed much more than what her apartment building offered. Not only that, but the building had better upkeep than her own. She could see the flower-less plants hanging in various balconies. Lights were shining through the twilight, passed glass doors and windows with translucent curtains.

_Their community laundry rooms are probably a lot cleaner than ours._ She thought, somewhat envious. She stepped up onto the single concrete step in front of the entrance and opened the first of two doors. Once inside, she turned towards a panel of lit buzzers on the left wall. There must have been over fifty buzzers, each with its own number written on a white tab next to it. She looked at them, once again finding herself slightly overwhelmed.

_What number is she again?_ Her finger hovered over groups of them as she scanned the numbers. She had her phone, but stubbornly left it in her pocket - she wanted to remember on her own. _I think it's… _A part of her just wanted to hit all of them at once and just listen for Shizuru's voice in the mix of questioning a tentative press on the 28th buzzer, she exhaled and waited. A moment later, her body involuntarily tensed at the sudden _'click'_ of the intercom.

"_Natsuki?"_

She exhaled at the familiar voice, her body relaxing as she confirmed, "Yeah."

"_Please, come up!" 'Click'_

Within seconds, Natsuki caught the sound of the thick click of the bolt lock retracting into the second door, allowing her access to the foyer. She opened it and made her way to one of two elevators, listening as the door's bolt clicked back into place in the door frame. As she entered the clean elevator, she was thankful Shizuru's apartment wasn't too far from ground level.

Within minutes, she was in front of Shizuru's door. She knocked, her shoulder aching from the weight of her bag. After a few seconds, the door opened.

"Hello, Natsuki." The older girl said, smiling. She was still in her suit, her feet bare. "Ah, I'm glad you changed."

Natsuki looked down at herself: She had replaced her school uniform with a pair of jeans and a dark green zip-up sweater. As casual as the outfit was, it made her look more feminine than she might have realized since the sweater hugged her figure and the jeans were flare, giving her legs shape.

"Well, I didn't want to spend the whole day in my uniform." Natsuki explained as though it were obvious. "I'm surprised you haven't changed out of your suit."

"I was just about to. Have you eaten?" Shizuru asked, leading the younger girl into her spacious, well-kept apartment. In front of them was the living room, and just passed that was the glass sliding doors that lead to Shizuru's wide balcony.

Natsuki dropped her bag by the wide Maru coffee table in the living room, the beige carpet cushioning its landing. "No, actually. Why?" she bent down to unzip a pocket of her bag.

"I thought we'd make something while we're working." Shizuru's words came more as a pleased statement than an offering.

Dubious, Natsuki looked above from her crouching position to where the taller girl stood. "Make something? Like what?"

Shizuru smiled. "I know you don't like anything complicated or extravagant, so I thought maybe something simple – pizza?"

"Pizza?" Natsuki said, uncertain. "Like, store-bought?"

"No, homemade – I have everything we need to make whatever kind you would like." At Natsuki's unchanging expression, she continued. "We can consider the cooking-process to be our study breaks."

_Study breaks._ That caught Natsuki's attention, as Shizuru knew it would. The younger girl didn't really like to cook, but found herself more at-ease at the thought of making something as casual as a pizza. _Come to think of it,_ she thought, _I don't think I've ever seen Shizuru cook. I know we did that cake-baking event together but all she did was sit there and let the others do the work. _She felt a knot at the back of her head. _If she pulls that on me, I'm outta here._

"Okay." Natsuki agreed. "What should we do now?"

"Well, let me change quickly. Then perhaps we can start making the pizza and, while it's in the oven, we'll study." Shizuru offered amiably.

"Okay, so I'll just wait here then?" Natsuki asked absently as she worked to pull her books out and lay them on the table.

Shizuru looked at her for a minute, as if pensive. "Unless you would like to help me change?" she smiled suggestively.

The cobalt-haired girl then stopped her rummaging and blushed, wanting to throw her hand to her face. _Damn it! _"I-I'll wait for you here," she stammered, not looked at the other woman. The chestnut-haired girl tisked and made a disheartened sound before heading to her bedroom.

Even after Shizuru had left the room, Natsuki continued to stare at the table, her face scrunched slightly in annoyance. Really, she was more annoyed at herself than Shizuru: _The worst thing is it's always me that provides the opening. _She thought to herself. She sighed submissively. _I have to be more careful_.

Natsuki found herself looking down at the books now splayed across the table; she debated organizing them, just to show some respect in her friend's home. After a moment of contemplating, she decided to do so, organizing the best way she cared to: stacked without any sense of order or neatness. After that was done, she turned her eyes to the balcony in not far in front of her. Feeling a bit curious, she pushed herself off the floor and walked leisurely to the glass door.

Through the clean glass, emerald eyes swept over the tops of the trees only a few feet from the balcony's railing. The leaves were just starting to turn - autumn's foliage beginning to take effect. She slid open the door, welcoming the cool breeze against her face and neck. The hair around her face rustled softly, cobalt strands dancing. She barely heard the idle chatter from neighbors and people walking on the street; or children's shrieks of laughter from a nearby playground. She walked out onto the painted, concrete balcony, only just noticing the two small chairs and table out of the corner of her eye to her right. Natsuki wasn't sure if Shizuru ever used them; they were white and plastic - not typically Shizuru's taste - giving her the inclination that they likely came with the apartment.

A scratching sound caught Natsuki's ear. Curious, she looked low over the railing and into the trees. Passed the colored leaves, Natsuki spotted patched black and white fur slinking along tree limbs. Gold, diamond-shaped eyes met hers. _A cat?_ Its whiskers twitched against the wind as it looked away, the leaves now obstructing Natsuki's view of the feline. From what Natsuki could tell as it moved in and out of field of view into the trees, it was healthy but somewhat thin. Cats weren't her preferred pet, but she didn't mind them: she admired their independent nature, but would rather have a dog sleep next to her than a cat. She hummed pensively to herself before turning from the cat and heading back inside, out of the growing chill of the coming night.

As she slid the door shut, she heard soft footsteps far behind her. Natsuki turned and quirked a brow at Shizuru's attire: _Sweatpants? _The older girl came out wearing charcoal-colored sweatpants and a light burgundy shirt. Her hair was up in a pristine ponytail, chestnut hair falling forward and framing her face. "When did you start wearing sweatpants?" Natsuki asked, still looking at the other girl curiously. The article seemed like an unusual choice for what she knew of Shizuru's taste in fashion – she was used to seeing the older girl in well-fit designer jeans and skirts, even on the weekends.

Shizuru smiled at the question as she moved around, clearing the kitchen counters of utensil holders and other bulky kitchenware. She let out a brief, thoughtful hum. "Perhaps when I started spending my evenings grading papers for the teachers I help." Once the counters were clear and wiped, she went into the wooden cabinets above the back counter and began extracting various (what Natsuki guessed) ingredients. "Jeans aren't very comfortable when sitting for long periods of time at my coffee table-" gesturing towards the table in the living room "-where I usually do my grading," she noted casually while Natsuki approached the kitchen's island counter.

The younger girl agreed with her on that point – even riding her bike in jeans for extended periods of time would eventually make her knees feel stiff and sore from the article's bunching at the knee's apex. Natsuki had learned that the older woman wasn't into fashion purely to please other people but for herself – because she legitimately liked wearing what she wore - and the younger girl came to respect that (though she never told her). Still, Natsuki found herself somewhat amused at Shizuru's choice of outfit; though it was casual, it looked strangely formal from a distance since the shirt and sweatpants were fitted to her curves.

_Even sweatpants and a t-shirt look good on her..._ The cobalt-haired girl thought, feeling herself sink into a brief, shallow state of self-pity as she leaned her weight on the stone top of the island. _Somehow, I'm not surprised._

"Would you like me to make the dough, and you place the toppings?" Shizuru's ponytail swung and rested on her other shoulder as turned to ask, an inquiring look on her face.

Natsuki blinked at her. She's _gonna make the pizza dough? _She looked at her, impressed. "Um, sure." Emerald eyes watched as the other woman smiled and, without protest, turned to start measuring the dry ingredients. After a minute, Natsuki looked at the older woman's back smartly, "Where was this willingness to work during the baking competition?"

"I didn't have an interest at the time," she answered simply, succinctly. "I will only cook for you, Natsuki." She turned and gave the other woman a smooth, flirty wink. The other woman only blushed lightly before closing her eyes and looking away, her brows furrowing childishly. She heard the chestnut-haired girl giggle lightly but didn't humor her with a response.

"Can I have some water?" Natsuki asked, her expression loosening only a little.

"Certainly," Shizuru gestured towards her stainless steel refrigerator as she began heating a cup of water for the dough. "Help yourself."

Natsuki grabbed a glass from its cabinet and filled it with water from the refrigerator. As she began drinking, the older woman began sprinkling flour over her work station. With all of the dry ingredients now mixed in a bowl, Shizuru poured in the oil and the heated water and began mixing. Soon, the powdery mixture became a thick, sticky sphere of dough. Shizuru took the ball and placed it on the powdered counter. She brought out a rolling pin from a lower cabinet.

"Would you mind, Natsuki?" she asked humbly as she handed the pin to the younger girl.

"Sure," Natsuki responded, her tightened expression now faded as her attention shifted elsewhere. Pushing her sleeves up past her elbows, she took the wooden cooking tool and began pressing and rolling the dough to a pie shape. The cobalt-haired girl felt her level of irritation rising as the dough began sticking to the pin. She growled, rolling the pin back and forth as if hoping the dough would release its hold on the cylindrical tool. She heard Shizuru chuckle lightly behind her before seeing a fist full of flour come into her view and sifting flour onto the exposed portions of the pin. Shizuru tore the dough from the pin and continued blanketing the pin with flour. After that, Natsuki realized, it was much easier to roll out the now oval-shaped pie of dough. Though the older woman wasn't much better than Natsuki in the realm of cooking, she still raised a white-coated hand to stifle her silent laughter as she watched the struggling girl. The faces the younger girl made in moments like this made time-consuming things like cooking all the more worth it, Shizuru felt.

With a final roll, Natsuki placed the pin to the side and looked at Shizuru, "Now what?" she asked expectantly.

"Now," Shizuru went into the refrigerator and pulled out a stacked pile of plastic and metal-cased food. "You can lay the toppings," she said brightly. The tawny-haired girl placed the pile next to the younger girl. "I wasn't sure if you wanted to try something different, so I bought everything. Is that alright?"

Natsuki looked at the toppings: olives, peppers, ham, pepperoni, anchovies… Natsuki continued reading. "Uh, y-yeah, that's fine." She felt guilt weigh on top of her when she realized she would likely not use a lot of what the other woman bought. "I wish you wouldn't spend so much on me though," she murmured guiltily.

Shizuru looked at her with mild curiosity before smiling warmly. "You're sweet. But don't worry, I like treating you," she said humbly. That was something that she always adored about Natsuki – she may exude a cold visage but, in reality, she was a very caring person on the inside.

Natsuki regarded her culpably and silently sighed. "Alright. Well," She turned to the dough and began pouring and spreading the pizza sauce she extracted from the stack. Next, the cheese… While Natsuki worked, Shizuru turned the oven on. Natsuki eyed the anchovies and, out of curiosity, threw a few onto a corner of the pie. "Do you have mayo?" She asked almost anticipatively.

The tawny-haired girl smiled brightly as she produced the item from the refrigerator as evidence. "Of course."

Natsuki grinned blithely, as though she were a kid being promised her ice cream after dinner. As if operating on newfound vigor, she sprinkled the dough with more choice toppings and soon stepped back, expectant of what to do next. Shizuru stepped next to her and pulled out a pizza stone. Emerald eyes watched as she laid the cookware next to the dressed dough.

_It's a good thing I didn't already eat beforehand – she's so prepared. _The younger girl thought to herself. _I wonder what she would have done if I turned down the pizza idea._

"Would you mind helping me lift the dough onto the stone?" Shizuru asked lightly, her voice bringing Natsuki's traveling mind to the present.

"Hmm? Oh, yeah."

Shizuru already had her arms under the dough, being careful not to shift Natsuki's handiwork. The younger girl lifted the sides and both girls maneuvered the flaccid, oval pie onto the pizza stone. She could feel the skin of the older girl's arms brush against the sides of her hands as they moved, particles of flour reducing any kind of friction. Both carefully removed their flour-dusted arms from beneath the pizza. Shizuru, then, went into another cupboard and pulled out mitts; she slipped one on and slid the stone into the sizzling heat of the oven.

As Natsuki watched Shizuru prepare the timer on the microwave, she became suddenly aware of what would likely come next. "Should…" She searched for a distraction, "Should we clean?" she asked, hopeful.

Crimson eyes looked at her knowingly, amusement dancing in her eyes. "That can wait. First, we should get to work." A smile played across her face at Natsuki's childish grimace.

"Fine," Natsuki grumbled as the older woman led her by hand to her wide coffee table. By this point in their friendship, the younger girl had become used to Shizuru's touch. Not that it was the other woman's fault – physical contact was always something to which Natsuki was unaccustomed. She would still feel herself stiffen slightly when Shizuru wrapped her arms around her in a tight, playful hold; but no longer did she fight it either.

As they came to the table, Shizuru chuckled silently at the haphazardly stacked books. She took a few into her hands and scanned the titles. "Ah, yes. You're reading romantic dramas," she said, recalling the teacher's particular syllabus.

Natsuki sat down with a thump, crossing her legs under the table. "Yep," she sighed. She hated romantic dramas. If she had to read anything, she preferred classical works leaning toward the action genre, such as _Chushingura*_. But then, she didn't like to read either; she had no idea why the other woman liked it so much.

"Well, where do you think you are struggling?" Shizuru asked as she seated herself adjacent from the younger girl, her legs lying elegantly to the side.

Natsuki was somewhat surprised at the level of sedateness the other woman was showing. It was clear that she cared about the younger girl's academic welfare; Natsuki was grateful for that, she supposed. "I just never follow what's going on," she admitted adversely. After a thoughtful pause, she hesitantly reached into her book bag and pulled out some rumpled packets of paper. "This also might be part of the problem." Sheepishly, she handed the packets to the other woman, who then looked them over.

She began to snigger despite herself but quickly stifled it, not wanting Natsuki to become offended - red ink lined what she assumed to be Natsuki's typed reports, "Poorly Written" hanging at the top of each front page. She wasn't surprised; Natsuki wasn't the most eloquent speaker, much less a writer.

"Are all of your reports like this?" Shizuru asked with a small, amused smile as she flipped through the pages, reading various red-marked sentences.

Natsuki looked away, agitated and abashed. "Most of them," she downplayed.

Shizuru then let out a soft breath of laughter through her nose as she finally laid the papers down and, leaning forward on her arms, set her crimson eyes onto the younger girl. "Well," she started coolly, "I could proofread your work before you turn it in. Would Natsuki be okay with that?" Natsuki's face tightened with anxiety - she didn't like her work being read by a third person; less so if it were somebody she knew. She just liked to hand her work in and be done with it, not dissect it for another hour. Besides, both women knew that the cobalt-haired girl didn't take criticism very well. Expecting this reaction from Natsuki's self-conscious nature, Shizuru continued: "If we work to improve your communication skills together, eventually you won't need me to check your reports and you can turn them in as you please." A confident hazelnut brow rose as she watched the younger girl's expression change, the logic churning through her head.

After a moment, Natsuki's face then relaxed submissively. "Alright," she said with an exhale reminiscent of a pouty child. She didn't know why, but the idea of Shizuru reading her reports made her feel more self-conscious than if it were some random person. Perhaps it was because Shizuru's thoughts carried more weight to her than any other person and was, therefore, afraid of what the more-refined girl would think of the other girl's writing ability. She knew that, at least, the older girl knew Natsuki's parlance well enough to understand where she was trying to go in the report and wouldn't patronize her.

Shizuru slid the papers back towards the other girl. "Since these have already been graded, unfortunately there isn't much we can do for them now. But, please bring any future papers to me at least a day before the due date. I would prefer to work on them together as well - it matters not where the location." She smiled kindly.

Natsuki only blinked at her, almost awed at the level of professionalism in her tone. "Wow. This whole teacher-aide thing has really sunken into you," she commented.

Shizuru smile widened in humble agreement. "Perhaps. Of course, I think my experience as student council president made for an easy transition; tutoring, however, is more one-on-one," she explained thoughtfully.

"Do you like that?" Natsuki asked with a skeptical quirk of her brow – she didn't know about Shizuru, but she knew she personally wouldn't have the patience to handle childish, moronic underclassmen for several hours.

Shizuru only smiled, as though thoughtful once again. "It has come to grow on me." Natsuki's brow then quirked again, this time out of mild intrigue. The tawny-haired girl then turned to the rest of the stacked books and brought them forward. "Now," she began, "let's study for your exam." Natsuki's shoulders promptly slumped.

The next twenty minutes went by faster than Natsuki would let herself believe. The older woman gave her memorization tips while reviewing key points of her recent readings; Shizuru knew each teacher's teaching style and, to ensure her pupils' success, had already studied the instructor's favored topics. The hazelnut-haired girl would grin to herself whenever she caught that certain glint in Natuki's eye – that 'click' of understanding and the mild excitement and self-praise at having guessed an answer correctly. She liked seeing it in her pupils' eyes (to her, it was what made her work worth the time spent), but she loved catching it in those emerald eyes.

Not ten minutes went by when Natsuki caught a whiff of something acrid. It was weak, so she sniffed again. "Is something burning?" The moment she spoke, realization hit her and she flew from beneath the table to the kitchen. She grabbed the mitts, threw them on and opened the oven. Glancing at the pizza, she reached in for the handles of the pizza stone. _Just in time,_ she thought as she recalled the browned crust she saw, black just beginning to form around the edges.

When she began to move from the oven, she felt a sudden, sharp searing pain on her forearm. She hissed a curse through her teeth at the sensation. Despite the pain, she never let go of the stone or halted her deliberately-slow movement from the oven to the stovetop. Once the stone was set on the stovetop and her mitts were removed, she went to examine her arm. The cobalt-haired girl, however, only managed a glimpse before her wrist was grabbed by a soft yet forceful hand. The hand pulled her arm around and, in an instant, she felt a dry yet cool cloth pressing lightly on the flesh wound. She winced at the initial sting of contact before relaxing under the merciful cool and finally turned her eyes to her wrist's captor.

Natsuki's brow - slightly furrowed in agitation at not only having hurt herself because of her own carelessness but also at Shizuru's sometimes overprotective tendencies - softened at what she saw:

Scarlet eyes gazed down upon the covered wound, heedful yet calm and warm, like a mother aiding her child through their first fever. (The older woman knew that the girl in front of her was no stranger to pain, but that didn't make her any less worrisome toward the younger girl.) Free from its elastic bind, a collection of tawny hair lay softly on the older woman's cheek as her head tilted to the side. The hand of the wounded arm was held close to the taller woman's cheek; soft, long fingers wrapping around the wrist in a tender grasp.

_Shizuru…_ Emerald eyes stared at the other woman's gentle expression, magnetized. Though she knew the ex-student council president was capable of displaying such care, the sight rendered her speechless every time. Rarely would Shizuru let herself attempt to heal any pain she knew the younger girl could handle; but it was in those rare moments that Natsuki managed a glimpse of somebody who was more than just a tease, or an ever-composed officer. Though she would never tell Shizuru, she felt special in those moments – that their friendship was real. Of course, that wasn't to say that she ever doubted the legitimacy of their friendship since Shizuru had affirmed it all those years ago. But, these acts of sincere human kindness and care solidified the fact, and she was thankful.

Natsuki's thoughts trailed when she felt Shizuru's breath inadvertently warm the back of her thumb. Her eyes widened slightly at the realization that if she were to let her hand fall back just an inch, the knuckles of her fore and middle fingers would graze the other woman's cheek. She blushed lightly at the thought; luckily, the small blush she currently wore (unbeknownst to her) camouflaged it well. The back of her arm, however, hung at an even shorter distance from the other woman's ample chest (Natsuki only discovered this when she felt the soft warmth of body heat barely touch her arm).

Natsuki's blush couldn't hide the darkened shade of pink that rose to her cheeks. Luckily, Shizuru was too engrossed in healing the burn to notice. Natsuki watched as Shizuru removed the cloth, only to quickly flip it over and reapply a piece of the cloth unaltered by enflamed skin. Natsuki was about to protest when the cooling sensation returned to her burnt flesh and effectively silenced her. With a silent sigh, she indulged in the relief for a second before looking back up at the other woman. Here, she found crimson eyes looking back at her. A small smile grew on the older woman's face.

"How does it feel?" Shizuru asked softly - almost intimately.

Natsuki's cheeks colored lightly as she looked away, fidgety (though not entirely because of Shizuru's tone, but rather her concern). "Better," she admitted, then raised her eyes to meet the crimson orbs once again.

Shizuru's smile only widened a bit at the adorable expression on the other girl's face before finally removing the cloth from the wound and placing it onto the counter next to her. Both examined the reddened flesh: atop her arm was a cut-shaped burn running about an inch-long across and three millimeters wide. Natsuki could see the burnt skin already begin to emboss, but wasn't wholly concerned.

"Hm, that won't do," Shizuru murmured, likely commenting on the same development Natsuki noticed. She reached for the cloth again, but Natsuki stopped her. Crimson eyes swept back to find Natsuki looking at her softly, a small, knowing smile on the younger girl's face.

"It's fine," Natsuki assured. "Really. I doesn't even sting all that much," she said honestly.

"Are you certain?" Shizuru asked, regarding the other girl with a semi-dubious look.

Natsuki let out a breath of laughter through her nose as she quirked a brow. "You don't have to mother me so much, Shizuru. I'm fine," she said good-naturedly despite the adolescent tone.

Shizuru smirked as she let go of Natsuki's arm. "I'll decide when and _how_ to mother my Natsuki." The older woman proclaimed with an air of suggestiveness as she moved around the stilled girl to rummage through a drawer full of various metal utensils.

The younger girl pinked and immediately pouted again at the older woman's wit, unthinkingly crossing her arms and wincing at the sting of contact against her clothing. She held in any vocal expression of pain however, so as not to supply Shizuru with any more verbal 'ammunition'. Within seconds, a metal wheel was held before her. She turned her head to the older woman.

Shizuru smiled. "Would Natsuki mind?" she asked as she opened her hand to offer the cutter's handle. "I'm afraid I might not have the strength she possesses."

Though she was uncertain whether that sentence was intended to be a statement or a tease, Natsuki muttered her compliance as she took the pizza cutter and turned back to the pizza. Careful of her burn, she cut six large (though oddly-shaped) slices and set the cutter into the sink while Shizuru set down the plates.

"Only three anchovies?" Shizuru asked curiously at the small grouping of fish on one particular slice.

Natsuki shrugged. "I'll give it a try." She took the slice and placed it on a plate, then added a precautionary second slice not decorated with fish. Feeling her stomach already begin to rumble at the appetizing scent of their freshly-made product, Natsuki wasted no time in grabbing another glass of water, returning to the table, shoving the books to one side in windshield-wiper fashion and positioned herself to sit. She was halfway to the floor when she stopped, "Oh wait!" She sprung back up from her lowered position, ran to the fridge, snatched her beloved condiment and happily returned to her original seat, unceremoniously plopping down to sit with her legs crossed in front of her.

The younger girl was too engrossed in her food to notice the grin that played on the older woman's face as she ran about the room; unaware of the adoring look she was being given. However, her obliviousness was likely a good thing: often when Natsuki caught that look she would immediately become self-conscious and retract her naturally kid-like tendencies – something Shizuru would be saddened to see.

The older woman came forward with her meal in hand and seated herself, gracefully resting her legs to the side while Natsuki, with both hands, squirted the mayonnaise into a mound on her plate. Cradling the triangle-shaped slice with both hands, she brought the point to her mouth and was about to bite when something caught her eye. She felt her shoulders drop at the sight of the woman adjacent to her bringing two metal utensils to the food resting on her plate.

_Oh, that's right,_ she inwardly sighed, a hint of agitation evident in her muscles. _She uses a fork and knife. _She blushed at her own impropriety, though she knew it couldn't be helped. The first time she saw the cultured woman use a fork and knife, she – out of self-consciousness – attempted to do the same when, in the end, it only exacerbated the situation and only served to entertain the older woman:

"Really, it matters not to me how you eat your food, Natsuki," Shizuru had said laughingly, trying to calm the indignant girl down after ten minutes of trial-and-error with the metal tools. "And anyway, I think Natsuki's adorable just the same!" Natsuki was still uncertain as to whether Shizuru meant to make the blood rush to her cheeks.

"Natsuki?" Shizuru's voice rang through the other woman's ears, shaking her out of a memory she had unconsciously slipped into. "Is something wrong?"

Natsuki blinked. "Huh?" Her eyes fell onto the pizza still hanging in front of her face. "Oh," she pinked, embarrassed at her own inattentiveness. "No, nothing." she took a bite, trying to pull and cut the stringy cheese with her teeth. Her mouth savored the flavors. "Wow," she began, food muffling her words, "this is good."

"It is, isn't it?" Shizuru affirmed, already cutting out a third piece with her knife.

After a minute of comfortable silence, a question sprang into Natsuki's head. She gulped down her second large bite and looked at the older woman with casual curiosity. "Can I ask you a question, Shizuru?"

Surprised at Natsuki's semi-austere inquiry, crimson eyes regarded her with intrigue. "Of course, Natsuki." Her knife and fork worked on her next piece.

"If you were dating a guy, who would you expect to pay for your dates? You or him?"

As though stunned and perhaps suspicious of the question's purpose, the hazelnut-haired girl's movements stopped only for a split-second before resuming; the other girl noticed the brief halt but thought nothing of it. Shizuru let out a thoughtful sound. "Well," she began as she wrapped cheese around her fork and brought the pizza bite to her mouth. "Traditionally-speaking, I suppose would expect the man to pay." At Natsuki's affirmative nod, she continued inquisitively, "May I ask the reason behind your question?"

Natsuki swallowed her fourth bite. "Because Mai was telling me that she has been paying for some of her dates with Tate and," she paused for words, "I dunno, maybe I'm just a traditionalist." She returned her attention to her diminishing slice.

"Or maybe Natsuki's just protective," Shizuru quipped with a smile.

The younger girl then smiled to herself. "Maybe."

After a moment, a thought brought a well-manicured finger to the hazelnut-haired girl's chin. "Although, wouldn't that mean that Natsuki is the man in this relationship?"

Natsuki coughed and sputtered on the water that she had only just began to drink. "What!?" she rasped, her eyes squinting as she tried to inhale. _'Relationship'?_

Wine-red eyes thoughtfully looked overhead. "I do recall several occasions where Natsuki would offer to pay for meals, instead of letting me pay."

"That's because you _always_ pay!" Natsuki's voice rose, regaining control of her lungs.

"And that uncomfortable look you get on your face whenever I _do_ pay."

"Th-That's because I feel bad!"

"And when we go to café's, you always order for me if I'm late."

Feeling her blood beginning to boil, Natsuki leaned over the table, as though expecting the gesture to help drive her point. "That's because I know what you like and I want to save our waiter a trip! And what does that have to do with paying?"

Shizuru regarded her with brows lightly raised, as if surprised at the other woman's unconsciousness to her own actions, "Why, it's such a chivalrous thing to do! So sweet and thoughtful…" She pressed her hand to her cheek, closing her eyes wistfully. "And in the end, Natsuki is the one who pays for the drinks and yet she never asks for money in return. She's truly a catch!"

"A… a catch?"

"And that motorcycle! Quite the masculine sport…" The older woman trailed thoughtfully.

The blushing girl only sat there, mouth agape; she was firmly pressed into a corner. Her jaw rose and fell as if trying to concoct words.

The older woman turned her attention back to the girl beside her, raising a finger in a matter-of-factly fashion. "And, if I may also note…"

_No you may not…_ Natsuki's thoughts ran speedily her head, fearful.

The well-manicured finger pointed toward Natsuki's legs. "The way Natsuki is sitting –_agura_ style – is fit for a man, yes?"

Natsuki looked down at her legs, horrified to find the cultured woman's words to be true. _Have I always sat like this? _She wanted to ask, but didn't dare. Vexed, her back slouched in contempt as she fixed her narrowed emerald eyes onto the other woman. Red, inquisitive eyes gazed back at her with a small, knowing smile. With ground teeth, she dropped her pizza, harshly planted her hands onto the table, untied her legs and swung them around to her side. A deep 'thud' produced from her feet as they flopped callously onto the carpet floor, her posture now mirroring Shizuru's _yokozuwari_ style – the traditional Japanese posture for women.

"How's this? Better?" Natsuki asked through her clenched jaw.

"Better?" The older woman blinked, perplexed as she scrutinized the other girl's form. "In terms of attractiveness, I would say there's no difference!" she grinned, closed eyes smiling brightly.

Flustered and confused, Natsuki let out an exasperated growl as she let her head drop, her hands balling into tight fists. "Shizuru, you're…" _infuriating_, she wanted to say. Her long breath, however, made her tightened muscles slowly relax. Remembering her friend's sense of humor and the pointlessness of admonishing her, Natsuki sighed. Blinking the tension out of her eyes, she raised her head. "You're something else, Shizuru."

Ignoring the other woman's humored expression, she turned her attention to her pizza and, with knit brows, blindly bit into its flesh. Her eyes snapped open at the odd taste that invaded her mouth. _What the hell?_ Her agitation already returning to its brink, she forced herself to chew and swallow the bite she had already claimed before impatiently examining the pizza. After pulling at some cheese, her eyes caught something gleaming against the light from the kitchen. She recognized the tiny scales. _Oh, right._ She eyed the cooked anchovy as though debating whether to re-experience its taste and texture. As if to settle the debate, Natsuki dipped the bread into the used pool of mayonnaise and took an experimental bite.

"Mm. Yeah. Much better," she mumbled to herself as she went for another bite, unaware of Shizuru's amused smirk.

Within several minutes, Natsuki had wolfed down her second pizza. Her stomach satisfied, she turned to the woman next to her and idly watched as the older woman finished her plate. She looked behind her and sighed at the visual reminder of the culinary tornado that hit Shizuru's kitchen. Though she disliked housework, she felt she owed the older girl a favor for purchasing the meal.

She hadn't realized Shizuru had stood up until she caught her plate being taken out of the corner of her eye. Not wanting to be taken as unthankful for Shizuru's hospitality, her hand shot to the plate. "Wait!" At the older woman's somewhat startled, quizzical look, she continued. "I uh," she trailed, now feeling a bit sheepish at her abrupt gesture. Green eyes dropped and searched the floor; she felt the grease under her thumb. The younger girl wasn't very smooth when it came to purposeful chivalry – she could never seem to look the other woman in the eye. "Let me do that," her hand still clasping onto the plate, she pushed herself from the floor and, avoiding eye-contact, took Shizuru's plate from her other hand and marched to the kitchen.

Though surprised at the other girl's actions, Shizuru had an idea of what the other girl was doing. She felt her lips curl upwards. She decided, however, to not take advantage of the opening the younger girl provided and spared her. "Thank you, Natsuki."

The younger girl pinked despite herself, busying her eyes and hands on the dishes and utensils she began to pile into the sink. "D-Don't worry about it." Though doing the dishes wasn't initially a planned objective for Natsuki, it suddenly became one: She hastily searched for the dish soap and, once found, turned on the facet and began washing. She didn't know why she felt so tight, or why she wouldn't let herself meet Shizuru's eyes. Maybe it was because she felt uncomfortable receiving gratitude, she figured. Or maybe it was because she was voluntarily doing dishes for somebody who knew she hated housework and, therefore, felt exposed to Shizuru – as if expecting the older woman to comment or make a coquettish remark at any point.

To her surprise (and relief), none came. Once Shizuru began to move about behind her, opening cabinets and wiping counters - assisting the younger girl - she began to relax. _Maybe I give Shizuru too little credit sometimes. Granted, she does sometimes tease me almost to the point of obnoxiousness. But, at least she's not malicious about it, _she mused, stacking the washed dishes onto the counter. She pulled a utensil out of the soapy water and began scrubbing. _She's just so damn unpredictable!_ Her brows furrowed unconsciously at the thought. She sighed, _maybe I'm thinking too much of this too - offering to clean dishes. I mean, it's not like it's a 'gentlemanly' thing to do,_ she tried to reason, words of their previous conversation bubbling into her head._ Friends offer to clean their friends' dishes, right? It's not unusual,_ she paused, green eyes blindly staring into the sink; the movement of a lithe form close behind her went undetected by the depth of her ponderings. _Maybe I should ask Mai… _her brow quirked, suddenly skeptical, _she'll probably think it's a weird question._

Without so much as a warning, she felt a hand deftly cup her breast. With a hard gasp, her consciousness was launched back to reality while her body sprang up and reflexively wrangled itself from the invasive contact. "WHAT THE HELL!?" Natsuki bellowed as she turned to glare vehemently at the perpetrator, protectively covering herself with her arms while her face filled with color. _Speaking of unpredictable…!_

Shizuru only looked at her with mild surprise; though somehow, something told Natsuki that it wasn't because of the younger girl's actions. As if to answer her question, Shizuru spoke: "Is Natsuki getting bigger?"

Natsuki regarded her, nonplussed. _What?_ It took a few seconds for Shizuru's meaning to hit her; her wide eyes shot down to her covered breasts. She pressed her arms tighter against herself as she shot enflamed emerald eyes back up to the older girl. "Y-You couldn't have just ASKED?"

The older woman only chuckled softly. "Well, I would have, but Natsuki's _so modest_ when it comes to such a subject," she pressed her hand to her cheek as a charmed expression enveloped her eyes.

Exasperated by the woman's antics, she dropped her arms and opened her mouth to speak when Shizuru, upon seeing her uncovered bust, burst into laughter. Natsuki, bewildered, looked back down: a perfectly preserved, powdery-white handprint held onto the younger girl's breast. Much like the long, ghostly-white fingers that stretched up the covered flesh, Natsuki's blush crept up her face like a flooding water tank.

Though her body was frozen, she snapped her investigatory eyes to the counter beside the still-giggling Shizuru. She eyed the muddled collection of flour there vehemently. "'Checking my bra size' my ass - you did that on purpose!" she exclaimed accusatorily, flying a pointed finger at the other woman.

Shizuru only shrugged amicably, "why Natsuki, I can't help it that my hands are dirtied after cleaning." While Natsuki struggled for a rebuke, the older woman turned to the flour behind her and pulled the used powder into her hand. "Besides," she walked up next to the younger girl, opening a cabinet under the sink to the garbage. With her voice dropped low, wine-red eyes turned to the younger girl, who looked at her dubiously, "who said I was checking your _bra_ size?" As if timed, the older woman threw the flour into the waste basket, shut the cabinet, and gave the girl a cheeky wink.

Natsuki blinked at her, confused; the emphasis in Shizuru's words completely bypassing her. "But… wait… you…" The younger girl's attempt at piecing the puzzle together in her head was as stagnant as her words. _How could she tell if I've gotten bigger if she wasn't feeling my cup size?_

As if to answer her question, Shizuru casually remarked, "Really Natsuki, you shouldn't let lethargy take precedence over physical comfort; if you're spilling out of your bras, you should have called me."

"Spi… Spilling!?" Natsuki's hands flew to her chest again. "B-But I'm wearing a sweater! How could you tell!?" her hands tried clandestinely to feel herself through her dark green zip-up, as if attempting to figure out what gave her away, or the secret behind Shizuru's 'talent'.

Shizuru grinned. "Experience." At Natsuki's strange look, she elaborated, "Natsuki cannot deny that I know her bust size like the back of my hand. Or, rather, front," her grin turned impish at her own pun.

The younger girl was effectively silenced; she was, once again, frozen in shock yet hot with embarrassment not only by the older woman's suggestive jibe but also by the truth of it: instead of using a measuring tape (like most women who worked at lingerie shops), Shizuru preferred a more 'hands-on' method: "It's far more effective than measuring tape: what if the bra the patron is wearing is an incorrect fit? It would throw off the measurements and, therefore, cause confusion and extend the appointment!" The other woman would explain with conviction. "One must be thorough in order to find the proper fitting and ensure the customer's satisfaction," she would say as though it were her mantra - even if she was only a volunteer sales associate for the store. While Natsuki understood her point, she often felt that Shizuru's explications were just well-developed excuses to be touchy.

A string of curses flew through her head, all aimed at the other woman. Yet, she knew speaking them wouldn't serve any good as they would only fall on deaf, proud ears. She looked down and growled at the sight of the white handprint that, while no longer quite as bold due to her arms repeatedly brushing her chest, remained plastered to her sweater like an irrevocable stain. She speedily moved to dust it off with her hand, fingers working furiously.

Shizuru stepped forward, taking a paper towel and wetting a small, bunched corner under the faucet. "Here, allow me to help," not waiting for permission, she took and pulled down on a portion of Natsuki's sweater, stretching the mark.

Natsuki watched in horror as the wet towel closed in on her breast. "What? No!" Natsuki's fingers fought Shizuru's hands, though her efforts didn't halt or even impede the older woman's advance.

"Oh, but I must - this was my doing after all," she surmised, unaffected by Natsuki's protests.

The younger girl's eyes widened as the towel became mere centimeters away. Her heart raced – she felt like a trepid beast watching a gloved hand enter its cage. Hadn't Shizuru done enough to her already! Touching her chest without permission was one thing, but to invite herself to rub water on her chest surely without any sense of reserve… it was too much! Frantic, she shut her eyes and, instantly, instinct took over: With her left hand she forcefully pushed Shizuru's arms down; with her right, she reached into an open, rumpled bag that had been sitting at arms reach, curled her fingers around the contents and flung it at the older woman. "I said _no_!" It wasn't until she heard the older woman shriek in surprise and her green eyes opened that she fully realized what she had done.

Shizuru stood there, examining her clothes. She was blotched with white, the spray of flour that Natsuki launched at her clinging to the soft cotton fibers of her leisure-attire. The younger girl was in luck, she supposed, that the older woman wasn't wearing one of her finer outfits. Still, Natsuki stood there, speechless and shocked at herself – she hadn't used defensive maneuvers like that since before the Carnival, when she was dodging bullets and subduing District One agents. Her emerald eyes widened when she saw small clusters of flour splattered along the side of Shizuru's face. Guilt beginning to emanate into her stomach, she tried to speak, hands fidgeting with fingers.

"S-Sorry. Um… force of habit I think. Reflex." Natsuki explained repentantly, a hint of anxiety evident in her voice as if fearing some sort of repercussive return from older woman. Though she knew Shizuru wouldn't scold her, she felt it might be something she deserved since she knew that's how Natsuki would have reacted if it were her.

"No, I understand." Shizuru said with a light chuckle as she brushed flour out of her hair and off her shoulders. "Perhaps I should try and not be so pushy with Natsuki," she mused. After years of putting up with Shizuru's sometimes obtrusive behavior, a part of Natsuki assented with the older woman's introspection: _That would be nice, yes, _she thought with an inwardly-raised brow. _But I don't want her to feel like she's at fault for my reaction._ Feeling blame crawl through her body again, Natsuki opened her mouth offer words of reassurance when Shizuru continued, an oddly-mischievous glint sparkling in her eye. "However, I do believe that in a situation such as this," The older woman pulled a handful of flour from the bag and held it close, propping the elbow of her occupied hand on her now-crossed arm as though she possessed some desirable substance. "The phrase 'eye for an eye' should apply," she smirked devilishly.

_Eh? _Natsuki looked at her, nonplussed. "B-But it was an accident – Like I said, a _reflex_! And besides, you already got flour on me, remember?" she defended as she indicated the faded hand-print shaped exhibit with a tersely-pointed finger.

"Ara, yes. But as it would seem," a look of confidence played on her amused features as she waved a hand over her flour-doused state, "it's not enough." With that, Natsuki's eyes widened as Shizuru pulled her hand back and projected flour in the younger girl's direction.

Natsuki's reflexes operated in her favor this time as, with a twist of her body, she evaded the spray. Proud of herself, she turned to give Shizuru a self-satisfied grin only to be blinded by a second cloud of white. She quickly closed her eyes and growled as she felt cool powder drape her face. She made sure to wipe her face with her hand before opening her eyes and inspecting the damage done to her clothes: splotches and runnels speckled her green sweater while the excess cascaded onto her jeans - she felt as though she had become a human representation of abstract art with her body as the canvas.

Smiling, Shizuru gave a nod of approval. "Now, we are equal," she proclaimed as she dusted her hands, letting the particles fall where they may since the floor was already splattered with flour.

Natsuki glared at her. _Equal_? She'd admit that now they looked identical – like two women who survived a culinary explosion (and the furthest they had gotten was opening a bag of flour). And sure, she'd accept Shizuru's punishment as viable for what she did; _even though it _was _an accident, _she thought with an indignant roll of her eyes. But did Shizuru expect the younger girl to just pardon her for her earlier crime simply because it's who she is: unabashed and unapologetic?

Natsuki exhaled, trying tempestuously to blow out the grainy particles that escaped into her nose. _If she wants 'eye for an eye',_ As the scene replayed in her head, her hand balled into a fist – not out of resentment, but to fight the blush that began to creep onto her face at her decided resolution. She knew some people may think that what she was about to do would end up indulging Shizuru more than herself, but Natsuki knew better. At least, she had a theory – one that she had only recently considered and hadn't had the opportunity (or nerve) to test until now. As if to bolster her resolve for justice, she silently growled and plunged her hand into the abused bag of flour.

Shizuru regarded the younger girl curiously, a playful smirk pulling at her lips. "Now Natsuki, you mustn't," she halted her words when she saw the younger girl remove her hand from the bag. She wasn't clutching any powder, but letting it fall between her fingers till only a small mound was held, like a miniature dune. Uncompromisingly-strong emerald eyes turned to her; she unconsciously stiffened in anticipation. What was she going to do? Stalking up with powdered hand raised, Natsuki watched crimson eyes shut as the taller girl braced herself for a counterstroke. Refusing to swallow her pride, Natsuki, with averted eyes, knit brows, grit teeth and a furious blush, committed her act of retribution: she pressed her hand flush against Shizuru's full breast. Natsuki's blush deepened when Shizuru released a tight, shallow gasp.

"There. _Now_ we are equal," the shorter girl asserted adamantly, trying to ignore her speeding heart. Assembling a bit of courage, her green eyes rose to the taller girl's. Natsuki's cheeks pinked further as she watched the crimson eyes open and meet her emerald ones. There was something about Shizuru's visage that seemed different then - something that she couldn't quite put her finger on. The older woman held a stunned yet somehow wistful expression; a pink blush colored her cheeks like it had been airbrushed on her face. Natsuki had never seen a look like that (as far as she could recall) from the older girl before and it left her oddly curious. However, she wasn't given long to calculate the taller girl's countenance before the crimson eyes shifted, adopting a devilishly-playful air.

"Indeed." The older woman breathed, "However, Natsuki must learn to control herself," she asserted righteously.

Thrown, Natsuki could only stare at the other woman before her eyes became irate. Her face turned vermillion, appearing as though she were about to combust. She threw up her hands, "That's it!" Intent on storming out with what little dignity she had left, she turned on her heel, took three steps, and slipped. (While Natsuki could hold her footing on ice any day, she didn't count on flour being a slippery agent under her converse shoes.)

Her feet flew in front of her as she watched herself fall in what felt like slow-motion. She barely acknowledged the arms that came from behind her, catching and encircling her with ethereal grace. Where she expected a tile floor to make impact, she felt flesh. Even after her descent had come to a stop, it took Natsuki a few seconds to get her bearings.

Within those few seconds, she became acutely aware of her situation – her utter loss of pride; of soft, deceptively-strong arms enveloping her waist; of an ample-sized chest pressing into her back; of shapely thighs on either side of her hips; of tawny hair tickling her neck; of warm breath caressing the side of her face. Her heart felt like it was hammering against her breastbone. She stumbled for words as she worked up the will to pry herself from Shizuru's tender grasp.

"This is the second time today I've come to Natsuki's aid." The older woman murmured with playful self-gratification. Natsuki felt Shizuru turn her head, the skin of her face scarcely brushing the cobalt-haired girl's ear. "Is Natsuki alright?" came the deep, intimate voice, causing a silent, involuntary gasp from the shorter girl.

Agitated at her inability to control her own body, Natsuki knit her brows and sharply turned her head indignantly to the other woman. "I'M-" Where Natsuki expected to see crimson eyes, she found pink lips, lip gloss highlighting their features with sublime effort. "… fine." She almost droned, entranced despite herself. She watched the lips curl upward.

"Good. I'm glad." Emerald eyes continued to watch the lips move, mesmerized by their form. Then, as if a brick collided with her head, reality struck Natsuki's senses. The younger girl launched herself from Shizuru's embrace; her words fumbling as she hurriedly went to gather her things, refusing to acknowledge her flummoxed state.

"I-I've gotta, uh, I've got school tomorrow, a-as you know, so I better, um, better get home." The cobalt-haired girl said as she shoved her books and papers brusquely into her book bag. "Thanks for your, um, your help," she threw her bag over her shoulder, finally bringing herself to look at Shizuru, who regarded her perplexedly.

"Certainly." The other woman answered casual geniality, choosing not to question Natsuki's odd behavior – much to the younger girl's relief. She gave Natsuki an amiable smile. "You can always ask me for help."

Shizuru's compassionate lilt and encouraging gaze made Natsuki's tensed muscles slowly loosen. Relaxing, Natsuki sighed as her eyes drifted sheepishly around the room, intermittently meeting Shizuru's red orbs. "Thanks. I'll uh, I'll do that." Shizuru would likely be the only one to hear the resigned appreciation hidden in Natsuki's words.

Before the younger turned for her shoes, a thought occurred to her: "Um, are you planning on using the rest of those anchovies?"

"Likely not; why do you ask?"

"Could you give me them? Oh, and a plate?" she asked casually, dropping her bag to lean on the island counter. At Shizuru's incredulous look, she continued, "It's not for me!" Natsuki watched as the older woman produced the anchovies and a small plate. The younger girl took the can and dumped the small fish onto the clean, white plate. "You have a stray; maybe he'll want them," she exclaimed in response to Shizuru's quizzical look while she walked out to the balcony and set the plate on the table set.

Shizuru smiled, somewhat touched by the other girl's thoughtfulness. "That's sweet of you. But we're rather high; are you certain it will make it up here?"

"I'm sure it'll find a way," she said with an air of confidence as she closed the sliding door. She grabbed her bag, her straying eyes returning to the dusted state of the kitchen. "Sorry about the mess." Natsuki muttered, the sight of the kitchen once again making her self-conscious for her behavior earlier.

"It's alright. I'll take care of it, since Natsuki did the dishes." The older woman said cordially.

Though the other girl didn't see it, Natsuki gave a small, appreciative smile as she turned to the door. "Thanks. See you Friday."

Shizuru smiled. "Yes. See you," she watched as the younger girl met her eyes with a departing smile and exited the apartment. The older woman let out a breath as her eyes scanned the state of her kitchen again. "Oh my," she gave a gentle laugh, humored. The clumps of white sent her eyes to her shirt. She pulled the hem of her shirt outward to get a better look. She felt herself pink again when her crimson eyes caught a white handprint clutching her breast, nearly camouflaged amidst the other white clusters on her clothes. _How bold she's become,_ she thought, pensive. The tawny-haired girl wasn't given much time to think over the events when a muffled clatter hit her ears. She looked to her balcony, and grinned. Wine-red eyes watched the black and white-spotted cat inspect its treasure of fish, sniffing hungrily. A breath of laughter escaped her nose as she, pleased, observed the cat a second longer before heading to the broom closet.

Natsuki threw her book bag into the passenger seat as she slid herself into the drivers' seat. She pulled her door shut with more force than necessary (as she tended to), and moved to place her key in the ignition. She was distracted, however, by the white flake that floated down by the corner of her eye and onto her leather armrest. An emerald eye glared suspiciously at the azure hair falling around her face before snatching a tendril in her hand and examining the blue strands. As she feared, white grains speckled her hair.

"Guuhhh!" Natsuki growled as she violently ruffled the hair at her scalp, trying to shake out as many flakes of flour as she could. Her eyes watched with distain as the freed flakes fluttered out of her hair and onto her passenger seat and armrest. She examined the specks of white against the deep gray leather. She didn't know why, but the longer she looked, the more amused she became at the absurdity of the night's events. She chuckled despite herself as everything leading up to having flour chucked at her replayed itself in her head. Lost in the thought, she unconsciously crossed her arms and winced as searing pain blossomed in her arm, reminding her of her self-inflicted injury.

She uncrossed her arms and inspected her forearm. The slit of inflamed flesh still looked raw but appeared to be scabbing over. It surprised her how little it burned against the cool air compared to other burns she endured. The expression on Shizuru's face when she held her wrist then surfaced in her mind; her thoughts lingered on the older woman's features, uncertain of how to legitimize the various emotions that reassumed their trek through her mind at the memory. She felt guilty and saddened, yet thankful, happy and warm.

Then, as if subconsciously solicited to displace a moment of confusion, a thought struck Natsuki as another memory amalgamated itself into her mind's eye: The look on Shizuru's face when she touched her breast; the dreamy blush; the wonder-struck expression; the moment of speechlessness…

_Wait. Did I do it?_ She wondered to herself, suddenly energized. _Was my theory right? Did I turn the tables on her? _Emerald eyes shifted back and forth contemplatively, searching the features existing only in her head.

Natsuki hypothesized that, if she tried to meet the older woman's coquettish actions and playful bluffs when she didn't expect them, Shizuru would finally have nothing to feed off of when it came to Natsuki's predictable behavior. And, if she were correct, Natsuki would be given the best reward: a moment of silence - where Shizuru, caught off-guard, would be left without words and, therefore, no witty return with which to corner a blushing Natsuki. Sure, it may seem like a trivial thing in which to put so much effort. But Natsuki, growing tired of always being trapped by the older woman's amorous wit, had to find an out of some kind to offer just a second of reprieve and self-satisfaction. And, the best way to do this, it seemed, was to beat Shizuru at her own game.

Though Shizuru did eventually come back with a clever, suggestive remark, Natsuki relished in the few seconds of stunned silence she received. The cerulean-haired girl wasn't sure how often or how frequently she would be able to conjure up enough courage to parry Shizuru's self-assured sense of humor; but, if it meant Shizuru's eventual resignation from her childish habits, then from now on, she was going to try.

"Take that, Shizuru," she mumbled as she turned the key, oddly proud of herself for having touched her best friend's breast. As the engine roared to wakefulness, another image welcomed itself into her mind: Shizuru's mouth, only an inch away from her own, and only a millimeter from her skin. The glimmer of light that rolled across her lips as she spoke. Instead of drumming inside her chest, her heart did something strange: It felt as if it was stretching, growing. It almost hurt.

Natsuki blinked and shook her head, the sensation fading as she diverted her attention to her gear shift. _That was weird_, she thought, shifting from Park to Reverse. Deciding to think nothing of it, she shifted again once pulled out of her parking space and drove home.

_Later:_

"Uggh, come on!" Natsuki exclaimed, trying to wash her now coagulated, batter-like hair under the shower facet. She wasn't able to get all the flour out, it seemed…

_* Chushingura – _Japanese title for _Forty-Seven Ronin._


	2. To Shift Your Mind

Hello all :)

I apologize for my lateness. I work two jobs and one just started its busy season so I was/am lucky to get one night a week to write. I actually intended for this chapter to be shorter than the first, but clearly that's not how it ended up ^^; I wanted to write this chapter after the first one because I really wanted to delve into something different – also because I'm planning on using a certain (don't want to give away too much already) character much more in the future but I knew I'd need to set up the 'emotional environment' properly so as to avoid too much OOC or pop-up characters. You'll see ^^ I was going to let it go for another week and then reread it for any odd parts, but I think I'm just going to throw it up and have you guys let me know in case I miss anything : ) If anyone notices anything weird, if you could pm me the part your curious about and leave the rest of your thoughts in a review, that would be awesome : )

I know some people commented about my portrayal of Natsuki's character as being a bit childish. That's true – it always seemed to me that she appeared most child-like when teased by Shizuru : ) When it came to Natsuki's character, I pulled a lot from the drama cds, Tours comics, and (especially for this chapter) the recent Mai HiME special available on youtube (along with the anime itself). That being said, I certainly promise that you will definitely see the mature side of Natsuki in this fic (hopefully you will see it in this chapter ^^;), as I've always thought of Natsuki as having a mature side as well.

Read, Review, Rewind and Be Kind ;P! And remember kiddies, I own nothing!

I should probably also note that each chapter takes place maybe 2-3 weeks apart from each other (unless otherwise noted).

Chapter 2: To Shift Your Mind

As she walked into the familiar, dimly-lit bar, Natsuki welcomed the scent of stale cigarette smoke. She wasn't a smoker, but there was something about the scent of lingering cigarette/cigar smoke that put her at ease. Perhaps it was due to a memory long forgotten, with the smell of smoke being the only remaining link to a faded reminiscence; or perhaps it was because that this was the bar that she frequented in her younger years when she just wanted to be alone and think. Though the subject of her thoughts would vary, they all seemed to require an equal amount of depth. At least, that's how it felt to the cerulean-haired girl.

She strode in, passing the booths and low, wooden tables, and seated herself at the bar atop a cushioned barstool. As she set her helmet on the bar's polished surface, the bartender approached.

"What can I get ya?" he asked insouciantly, wiping the already clean surface with a black, well-used kitchen towel before laying a crisp, white napkin in front of her.

Natsuki recognized him as the same bartender that always worked the night shift. He was a nice guy; older, quiet, and always carrying the same unperturbed expression on his prickly, gray-haired face. She liked that he treated all of his patrons the same, no matter what the age or gender.

"Cape Codder," she answered casually.

"Single or double?"

"Single. In a highball, not a rocks glass, please."

He gave her a thinly-quirked brow. "Going light tonight?" Natsuki only tapped her helmet in response. She wouldn't call herself a drinker by any means, though she knew she could hold her own; she'd only indulge when around friends and rare casual evenings. His brow rose further before he turned towards the tub of ice, a small smirk carving into his lips. "Smart girl," he muttered just loud enough for her to hear. She thought nothing of it as she moved a stray strand of hair behind her ear. Though she had ordered stronger drinks and had her motorcycle as her means of going home before, she didn't feel like doing anything strong tonight – tonight was a casual night.

"Going soft, Kuga?" came a familiar female voice; its owner seated only a few seats away from the cerulean-haired girl.

Natsuki looked up from the bar table with an arched brow. Red hair and light green eyes caused both brows to rise in semi-surprise.

"Nao. Haven't seen you in a while," Natsuki said with calm surprise as the bartender handed her the red drink.

"And who's fault is that?" she responded with an airy shrug. "You could have visited me at the chapel."

Natsuki let out a silent chuckle at the reminder, though she wasn't entirely sure if Nao was being serious or sarcastic (by Nao's tone, she leaned towards sarcastic).

"I still don't know why you agreed to that." Natsuki muttered more to herself than to the other girl. "How was that, by the way?" The cerulean-haired girl asked with mild curiosity. With an inhale, Nao raised her eyes to the mirrored wall of the bar in thought.

"Educational," she finally answered, returning her stir stick to her own drink (the contents of which, Natsuki couldn't quite figure out due to the low light of the room; she could only hear the clinking of ice against the glass). Once again, Natsuki was left at a loss as to whether Nao was being serious or sarcastic. Their relationship as friends felt odd, but nice. Though they hadn't often talked, it had simply become a silent, mutual agreement since the ending of the Carnival.

"Are you thinking about going back to school?" Natsuki asked, the other girl's absence from the school being the dark-haired girl's only hint of Nao's removal from enrollment.

Nao was silent for a moment, her eyes following the contents of her glass as she stirred. "Thinking about it," she drifted. Natsuki's eyes fell onto Nao's hands and noted the nonexistence of her biomechanical weapon. It felt somewhat strange to not see the thin gauntlet-like weapons and find them replaced with normal, human hands.

Natsuki opened her mouth to speak, hesitated, and then finally asked softly, "How's your mom doing?" She knew it was always a touchy subject, but couldn't help but ask as she knew how it felt to be without a parent.

Nao was silent for another moment, never looking up from her drink. "Fine," she answered plainly. "Still unconscious; the hospital said they might be able to speed up her recovery given they had other, more advanced treatments, but they don't have the funds to purchase them at this time. So, we're doing what we've always done: keep her stabilized and wait." Though her tone had turned dark as she spoke then, Natsuki could hear the faintest glimmer of hope deep in the other girl's voice.

Natsuki wanted to say how sorry she felt for the other girl, but she knew that if she were in Nao's shoes, she wouldn't be asking for pity. Pity doesn't speed up the process, or make it hurt any less, or make you feel any less helpless. So, out of respect, she stayed silent and instead sipped from her own drink.

"I take it you're back in school." Nao asked after a few seconds. Natsuki wasn't sure if she was asking out of courtesy or to move the conversation on to something else.

"Yeah."

"Failed anything yet?" Nao asked smartly, a humored smirk carving into her lips.

Natsuki felt her jaw twist in slight agitation, remembering Nao's instigative sense of humor. "Not yet, but I'm getting better - I'm being tutored."

"Was that the teacher's decision, or yours?"

"Mine."

"Hmm. You're a more patient person than I, then." Nao muttered with a quirked brow. She sipped her drink. "And who is this tutor of yours? Is it Mai?" she asked as she flicked her stir stick back and forth amid the ice. She knew that the two girls had decidedly moved into the same complex together, not from word of mouth, but rather a hunch since she knew how close the two former HiME's are. It seemed fitting to Nao that Natsuki would only be willing to be tutored if said tutor was a friend.

"No. Shizuru." Though Natsuki thought nothing of that fact, something about telling Nao that information made her feel slightly ill at ease.

As if to mark her intuition as correct, Nao's stir stick promptly halted within the glass. A few seconds passed, "so, you're still friends with her?" she asked, her eyes locked on the stilled drink.

She unconsciously straightened. "Yeah, I am."

"Why?" she asked as though mildly affronted.

The blunt question left Natsuki taken aback, making her unable to form a quick response. The question gestated in her head for a few seconds. "What do you mean?"

"After everything that that girl did," Nao then looked at her, brows knit in bafflement, "you're still friends with her?"

Natsuki searched the other girl's hard expression for a minute. "Nao, that was over half a year ago," she reminded with a low voice, conscious of the people around them.

"Time doesn't matter!" Nao rebuked at a louder tone than both girls would have liked in the semi-quiet bar. The redhead roughly moved a few seats closer to the other girl. "You of all people should know that time doesn't matter when it comes to your family," she continued in a lower tone, unconsciously tightening her hands around the bar's curved edge.

Natsuki halted at Nao's words; she was right. When she searched for clues about her mother's death, she never stopped; so many years had passed, and yet her drive for revenge never ceased – because she was her mother. While, though it was for the sake of protecting Natsuki, Shizuru destroyed Nao's child, thereby eradicating the existence of Nao's most important person: her mother. She did it without batting an eye.

But, the cerulean-haired girl knew her friend better than most. She knew that her actions still haunted Shizuru, though the older woman masked her emotions well – as she always had. Natsuki searched for words. "Yes, but at the graduation," she paused as she recollected, "you sat with us; why are you so troubled by it now?"

Nao let out a hardened sigh. "I held it in for everyone else's sake since the Carnival's ending. I didn't mind sitting next to you; and I wasn't about to start a fight in front of everyone. And besides, I thought, maybe, I'd get over it with time. But," her eyes narrowed, the images of the taller woman looming over her with vengeance burning behind her smiling, hollow eyes, "I guess not."

Natsuki was silent for a minute, taking in Nao's words. "But," she returned "she apologized, remember?"

"Did she apologize for what she did to you?" Nao asked crisply.

The other girl tightened defensively; Nao was beginning to step into dangerous territory. "Yes, she did." She harbored no resentment towards Shizuru for what she did; she felt, however, that their personal history during the Carnival was no one else's business but their own.

"Well, forgive me if," her hands flew together and mimicked Shizuru's signature closed-eye, sweet-smile facade, "'forgive me,'" her face then immediately returned to its humorless expression, "doesn't cut it for me." She swallowed the remains of her drink tersely and threw on her jacket. "I can respect you for protecting me from her then, but I can't forgive her for what she did." She threw a few bills onto the bar. "That's always been your problem Kuga – you forgive too goddamn easily." She jumped off her stool and made her way towards the door.

As she passed behind the other girl, Natsuki, tensed from Nao's words, defensively admonished "You don't understand our friendship." _You don't know her,_ she thought.

Nao turned to meet the other girl's hard gaze coolly. After a beat, she returned curtly, "You're right, I don't," and finally exited the bar.

Hard emerald eyes stared at the door as it shut. Agitated, Natsuki turned back to the bar and took a swig from her glass, unsure as to whether she should let Nao's words swirl in her head or not. She ultimately decided to shut them out – she liked her relationship with Shizuru now and preferred to not have her thoughts of her muddled by someone who didn't know the older woman like she did since the Carnival's ending.

Her phone vibrated in her pocket – a text message. Grateful for the distraction, she pulled her phone out and flipped it open.

"Calling All HiME's! Karaoke Party This Weekend! Details are to follow. _From Mai_."

Natsuki quirked a brow at the message; this wasn't a surprise, coming from Mai – the karaoke-loving, social butterfly that she was. Cautiously, she looked through the mass text's list of recipients and inwardly, apprehensively tautened at Shizuru and Nao's names. _What perfect timing..._

She softly sighed, relaxing her muscles as she scrolled to Mai's name and hit Send on her keypad. She held her phone to her ear, under the tendrils of her long, azure hair and listened to the dial tone until a voice rang through.

"Did you get my text?" Mai immediately, excitedly asked upon answering.

Natsuki couldn't help but smirk at Mai's bubbly personality when it came to planning get-togethers. "Yes I did, and you have impeccable timing."

"Why?"

"'Cause I just ran into Nao at that bar I go to," she began, and then trailed.

There was a pause, "oh, that sketchy one?"

Natsuki bristled defensively. "It's not sketchy, it's just…" her eyes swept over the smoky bar, Mai's words slowly ringing true though the cerulean-haired girl tried to deny them, "dark," she finished.

"M-hmm." Natsuki could hear the humored skepticism in the other girl's tone. "Well, what happened? Was there a bar-brawl?" she teased. Mai knew roughly about Natsuki and Nao's unspoken agreement to be cordial to each other after everything that happened, but she also knew how similar they were when it came to their fiery natures.

Natsuki couldn't help but lightly chuckle at Mai's choice of words. "No, more like a," she searched for words, "bar… spat."

"What about?"

"About Shizuru – she doesn't like that we're friends."

"Oh," she began, not realizing her error concerning the two women and their history until now, "you're right, I do have impeccable timing." There was another pause as Mai seemed to casually absorb the information. She recalled the last karaoke party they had after the Carnival and remembered Shizuru and Nao barely speaking; now, she figured that Natsuki simply wanted to avoid a possible fight considering Nao's reaction to the knowledge of their relationship.

Mai thought it over for a minute. "Well, you know how Nao is – she hates karaoke, so she might not even show up. And if she does, maybe being around Shizuru now will do her some good – make her realize some things that are different about her." Mai didn't spend nearly as much time with Shizuru as Natsuki did; however, the few times they've been in contact, Mai noticed something about the older woman's demeanor that was different from before: she was more at ease, like a burden had been lifted from her shoulders, causing her to be more amiable and genuine than ever to everyone. "Or," she continued, "if she does come and she causes tension, we'll get them both liquored up and they can drunkenly duke it out – Mikoto, Midori and I will referee." She offered lightheartedly to her good friend.

Natsuki laughed softly, the image inviting itself into her mind. She always felt thankful to have a friend like Mai that could make her laugh in moments like this.

"Well, hopefully it won't come to that." Natsuki returned, her smile lingering as she toyed with her stir stick.

"But just in case it does," Mai exclaimed with an odd amount of pep, "we'll be ready!" Mai then continued sincerely, "Really, Natsuki, I think it'll be okay. Nao may still be angry, but she's not the kind of person to do something stupid. Don't worry your big heart."

Natsuki pinked at her words, unsure of how to respond to the compliment. Though she hated it at first, she appreciated her friend's innate ability to read her: while she cared for Shizuru's feelings, she also cared for Nao's after seeing so much of herself in the rebellious redhead.

"So you're coming then?" Mai finally asked gaily.

"Yes." Natsuki droned resignedly, though her smile continued to linger.

"Good. See you there!" And with that, both girls ended the conversation.

Natsuki released a pensive breath of laughter through her nose. _Hope you're right._ They didn't have to be friends, she knew that. But, she hoped that some day soon, all of this drama would dissipate and there would no longer be any bad blood. She stuffed her phone back in her pocket and finished her drink before laying a few bills on the bar table, choosing not to think any more on the situation for the rest of the night and to instead cross that bridge when it came to her. She picked up her helmet and, once outside, wedged it on and headed home, her bike's engine roaring through the shadowy streets.

Nao read the message again while she stood at the bus stop, waiting. It had been a couple days since her conversation with Natsuki, and the weekend was just around the corner; though she didn't much care for social gatherings, she felt she had to make a decision on this particular instance after being given a few days to mull the invitation over. Initially, she was set to decline – though she knew it was only an immature reaction to a fight that left her frustrated and confused.

As she considered, she occasionally contemplated why she cared so much in the first place. It wasn't as if she had developed an impenetrable bond with any of them; Natsuki, oddly enough, was perhaps the only person in the group with whom she'd considered establishing a friendship (or, at least, something resembling it – friendly rivalry could count as friendship, right?).

Perhaps she also subconsciously knew that going to parties with people who she - in one way or another - established a relationship with would prevent potential friendships from ebbing away. Though she'd said before that she didn't need anybody, she couldn't deny the loneliness she'd feel some days.

But, she was strong-minded and resolute; and she'd be alright on her own, she felt.

The growing light of approaching headlights made Nao turn her thoughtful gaze from the concrete sidewalk beneath her feet. She watched as the large, boxy bus slowed to a halt in front of her, inertia forcing a slight rocking motion as it stopped. She stepped onto the vehicle and took a seat in the middle of the bus, grasping the railing above the low-backed seat in front of her so to steady herself as the bus accelerated. Green eyes stared out the window, pensive.

The azure-haired girl seemed to be the only person to really understand her and where she came from as an only child with no parents. Really, the girl wasn't so bad, once you got past her masculine personality, Nao thought. But, she couldn't wrap her brain around why the girl would allow herself to become friends with a woman who hurt people; and not only that, but take advantage of her. People would probably wonder how Nao came to know that bit of information, but in a group full of girls, it wasn't difficult to piece things together with a little unintentional eavesdropping here and there.

_When those thugs broke into my house, destroyed everything, and sent my own mother to the hospital, I wanted to obliterate them. Yet, when Shizuru took advantage of a girl who was already losing her faith in humanity – like I was – how could that girl be able to turn around and not only forgive her, but continue to be friends with her… I don't get it, Kuga. _Nao shifted in her seat as the questions continued bubbling into her mind. _You wanted to be friends with me, yet you want to be close friends with the woman who took my own precious thing away._

She let the thoughts swirl in her head as she laid it down on the back of her seat, feeling the bus rock and hum. She barely noticed the bus coming to another stop, or the passengers boarding. She exhaled.

_Natsuki did have a point though, I guess. It has been almost half a year, and everyone else is happy, as if nothing ever happened. Everyone had their precious person back in their lives and, because of that alone, there was no residual resentment. _She opened her eyes, surveying the bus's ceiling absently while absently reading the various ads plastered all over the bus's interior. _Mai, Mikoto and Reito are friends; Shiho seems to be dealing with Mai and Tate's relationship relatively well; hell, even Yukino and Haruka seem to have forgiven Shizuru to a certain degree - not sure how that happened, though. _She thought with a quirked brow, but soon thought nothing more of it – though the new Chief of Security had experienced Shizuru's power as well, Yukino's feelings weren't any of her concern. Yukino always seemed like the compliant type anyway, Nao felt. Maybe it would have been different if Haruka never reappeared; but then no one would really know.

"Ugh, get away!"

Nao's attention turned to a couple seats behind her, across the isle. She watched in disgust as some skinhead kept trying to put his arm around a nicely-dressed brunette while making lewd comments and gestures. Her jaw rolled angrily as her eyes narrowed, fingers twitching.

She stood, deftly holding onto the railing to steady herself as the bus continued to rock. Calmly, she approached the pale-skinned boy, tribal tattoos coloring his arms.

"Hey you."

The boy looked up, now more interested in the redhead standing defiantly before him. Nao noticed the girl's pleading look, but remained stoic.

"Well, well. Aren't you a pretty little thing?" He chuckled egotistically, looking her up and down. His small black eyes finally landed back on her face. "What? You want some too?" he asked with a knowing grin.

Nao gave him her best sultry smile as she ran her hand over his shaved head, resting at the back of his skull. "How'd you guess?" she said softly. The boy grinned devilishly, intrigued. Then, the fingers behind his head twitched again before slamming his face hard into the handrail. Though his head ricocheted off the railing, her hand remained on his head just beneath the skull, soon guiding his dazed body up the isle.

As if planned, the bus came to its next stop just in time for Nao to toss him off, the next set of passengers doing their best to dodge the oncoming body being thrown. As if unperturbed, she dusted her hands and casually sauntered back to her seat, ignoring the onlookers and their agape mouths.

It would be a lie to say that she didn't miss her element, but at least she didn't have to go out of her way to cover her tracks as a HiME.

"Thank you, thank you!" She brunette came up to her, smiling gratefully.

Nao shifted in her seat – though she occasionally enjoyed attention, praise made her feel uncomfortable. "Don't worry about it."

Though the girl's smile faded at the redhead's aloof nature, that glimmer of gratitude remained. "Yes, thank you." The brunette was silent for a beat before giving a light bow. "You're a good person," she finally added, then took a seat closer to the front.

Nao's light green orbs flicked onto the girl's back as she walked away. She quirked a brow – not many people had used those words to describe her before. The redhead's mind then turned back to Shizuru while the girl's words echoed in her head. Maybe she wasn't giving the other girl the proper benefit of the doubt. Maybe she, too, was a 'good person' beneath her tempestuous actions; and perhaps she continues to be now.

She looked blankly in front of her, just noticing her stop as it approached. _I suppose I,_ she drifted, and then finally sighed. _Oh hell,_ she thought resignedly before grabbing her things and exiting the bus, texting her RSVP back to Mai. Her fingers clicked the keypad while her eyes never looked up from the screen as the words formed.

_It's not like it'll kill me, anyway._

For many people, the weekend came quickly; for Mai, however, it couldn't come fast enough.

In her final year at Fuuka Academy, classes and work had taken its toll on Mai's mind and body and, therefore, Mai very much felt the get-together she planned was a well-deserved treat. She was determined to have fun – which she knew wouldn't be an issue. It was clear, though, that Midori felt the same: "Let's drink to good times had by all!" she bellowed with a raise of her glass mug, already slightly pink-cheeked from alcohol though it was still early in the evening. She was glad to see that the women she invited had each brought their 'most-important-person' with them as their guest – they knew Mai wouldn't object: "are you kidding, the more the merrier!" she'd say. She had, after all, asked Tate if he wanted to join – to which he agreed as long as he didn't have to sing. Besides, the purpose of these get-togethers, other than to cut loose, was to have everyone re-associate their former identities: to replace memories filled with uncertainty, confusion, anguish, rage and loss with celebration, camaraderie and mutual respect for one another.

"Do you need any help?"

Tate's words made amethyst eyes snap to the amber ones above her. She had been leaning over a table, topping the surface with clear plastic cups full of beverages. She hadn't heard him approach and, therefore, was startled by his voice. He looked at her with soft eyes, hands in his jean pockets, willing to assist.

"Um," Mai began as she looked around, surveying, "actually, if you could unpack the food from the grocery bags and set them on that table, that'd be a big help," she said, indicating the table next to the one she was working on.

"Sure," he affirmed with a small, charming smile before he unstuffed his pockets and picked up the groceries with both hands. That smile always seemed to make her blush; not out of nervousness, but happiness, as if her brain was still trying to process the reality of their relationship. Though had become more comfortable around each other, they still had those awkward moments where one would stammer and the other would fidget in conversation; or one would reach for the other's hand and suddenly question the advance at the last second, anxious. Her brow dipped pensively. _Why do we still do that?_ she wondered. They had been dating for almost six months! You'd think the anxiety would have completely let up by now. Maybe it's because they hadn't yet…

Blood rose to Mai's face at the thought that surfaced. She inwardly shook her head, desperate to drain the color before someone noticed. _That-that's stupid!_ She reasoned, calming herself._ As if other couples become more comfortable around each other immediately after-_

"Hi."

"HI!" Mai's hitched voice would have tore through the room if it weren't for Shiho's bubbly pop music and pitchy singing pumping through the karaoke machine - the young girl had eventually accepted Mai and Tate's relationship, though not without some pushback and a solemn promise from Tate that he'd always be her 'big brother' (and the minute they break up, Tate is to go to Shiho for comfort).

Natsuki looked at Mai, startled by the sharp greeting and sudden spin from the table. She quirked a brow at her friend's pinked cheeks and alarmed expression. "You okay?"

"Yeah," Mai breathed, calming herself. Like with Tate a moment ago, she hadn't heard the dark-haired girl approach, and thus was caught off-guard. Her eyes turned to the chestnut-haired girl who stood behind, crimson eyes also displaying a curious look. "Just, em, busy setting everything up. When did you get come in?" she redirected.

"Just now, do you want any help?" Natsuki offered.

"Nah, she's got plenty," Tate chimed while Mai offered them a drink from the table behind her. "It's been a while, Ms. Fujino," he smiled amicably to his former-superior.

"It has," the taller girl returned the smile, "but you needn't be so formal, Mr. Yuuichi. 'Shizuru' is fine." The smile brightened cordially.

"Ah, okay, Shi-Shizuru," Though he wasn't opposed to it, addressing his former-superior by her first name felt odd to the yellow-haired boy after being restricted to formal expression in student council meetings. He rubbed the back of his head with his hand. "It must be nice to be graduated," he continued before long yellow hair swung into the circle, slowly accompanied by short brown hair.

"You bet!" Haruka interjected with a pointed finger. It felt unusual to not see the exuberant blonde wearing her green jacket; instead, to everyone's intrigue (other than Yukino), Fuuka's former Head of Security now donned a police uniform. "It feels good to move on from Fuuka Academy and the bastardly-"

"'Dastardly',"

"-delinquents housed there," Haruka announced, not catching Yukino's minor correction. "But, I know I've left the school in capable hands," she finished with a clap of her hand on Yukino's shoulder and a smile of unwavering certainty.

The shorter girl blushed and smiled. "Haruka," she chided, sheepish.

"I'd have to agree," Shizuru noted, politely interjecting, "from what I've observed at the school since assisting the teachers, Ms. Kikukawa has done quite well for herself; impressively so, in fact."

"Yeah, 'cause she learned from the best." The blonde returned proudly, folding her arms and broadening her chest.

Shizuru smiled blithely, "I was just thinking that myself."

Haruka's tight countenance relaxed, thrown by the unexpected compliment. Though it was often needless, the blond had tried to read around the other woman's artfully-crafted words for years. Shizuru was a tough nut to crack, she soon discovered; until she found the pin-hole, that is. Purple eyes swept to the figurative pin-hole, who appeared to observe the exchange collectedly, though she saw a hint of curiosity flicker in her amazonite eyes.

"Yes. Thank you for saying so, Ms. Fujino." Yukino's low, appreciative tone rang in Haruka's ear, turning her attention back to the conversation. Though the two women mirrored placid smiles, Haruka couldn't help but feel like she was missing out on something between the two – some hidden message. Her eyes glanced toward Natsuki inquisitively and found the younger girl to be experiencing identical puzzlement.

"What's with the cop outfit, Ms. Suzushiro?" Tate asked, unable to contain his interest any longer.

Haruka's attention immediately turned, the mention of her outfit making her excitement, once again, boil over. "Isn't it great? I'm working as an assisting officer for the city's police department," she brushed her shoulders and placed her hands on her hips proudly, "Yep, I'm servicing the whole city now – getting these ruffians off the streets!"

"Technically, she's only covering one district of the city," Yukino explained quietly.

"Yeah, but I'm hoping I'll climb the ladder and maybe get a government job."

"Like what, homeland security?" Tate offered.

Haruka opened her mouth to speak, then stopped, her eyes growing wide as the thought gestated. "Yes!" She exclaimed with another point of her finger. "Yukino, write this down!"

"Yes ma'am." Yukino produced a pen and a small pad of paper from her pant pockets. Some of the onlookers couldn't help but inwardly quirk a brow - had _anything_ changed?

"What about a pistol, do you get to carry that?" Natsuki asked, now intrigued.

Haruka's dynamism faded to slight disappointment. "No, but," she reached behind her, yanking a metal object from her otherwise well-stocked utility belt. "I get to carry handcuffs," one of the cuffs danged as she lifted it up for everyone to see. Demonstrating, she latched one cuff onto her wrist and pulled on the other cuff, showcasing its lock, "No perp will be able to get outta these."

"Do you have the key?" She then asked, brow quirked.

Haruka rolled her eyes, padding her pocket with her palm, "Yes, of course I have the," her hand began to pad one pocket then another, her rate of movement becoming more and more panicked. "Yukino! The key! Where's the key!?" Her hands flew around her uniform, the unoccupied cuff flying back and forth.

"Y-yes ma'am!" Yukino complied by helping her search, both sets of hands now searching all pockets and possible hidden pockets. The onlookers watched the two work – nothing had changed.

"Ms. Suzushiro appears to be more frenetic than usual," Shizuru noted in a whisper.

"Probably the liquor," Mai muttered more to herself than to anyone.

"Liquor?" Natsuki turned to her friend, bewildered.

"Yeah, the drinks are spiked," the redhead informed matter-of-factly.

"Spiked!?" Natsuki's gaze flew down to her punch-red drink as though inspecting it.

"Don't worry, the orange ones are non-alcoholic – you know I wouldn't give alcohol to my brother with his health."

After hearing this information, Natsuki looked around, relieved to see that at least the younger kids – Shiho, Akira, Takumi, Mikoto – all had orange drinks; though she wasn't sure if Yukariko was purposely given an orange drink, or if she chose it considering how drunk Natsuki had seen her before at these gatherings.

"Well, thanks for the warning," she said wryly.

"No problem."

"I was being sarcastic."

"I know," Mai smiled.

Natsuki rolled her eyes before checking out the room. It looked very similar to where they normally go sing karaoke though more hip and modern with a U-shaped couch for optimal viewing. It was on the second floor and a faux stained-glass swing-open window; it was an unusually warm day for mid-Fall, and thus was left open to let in the cool air of the evening breeze. The lights by the stage faded in and out of various colors, occasionally swirling to give the feel of a celebrity's stage. It looked like everyone was here, along with some additional people. Takumi and Akira sat next to each other on the couch, chatting, laughing, and an occasional blush here and there. Midori brought Ms. Sagisawa, both of them cackling at old and new stories. Akane and Kazuyo were, as expected, cuddling up – Natsuki could see from here that Akane had had a few and now appeared a bit pink-faced; Kazuyo seemed to find his girlfriend's wobbly posture comical.

"Where's Reito?" Natsuki asked.

"He's at University, we make sure to keep in touch though," Mai explained.

Natsuki was about to speak when movement at the entrance caught her eye. Her brows rose at the sight of familiar red hair, folded arms and wandering green eyes. The cobalt-haired girl raised a stiff hand, inviting her in.

Nao unconsciously stiffened at being seen – she wanted to at least take a peek to see if it was a party worth sticking around for, but apparently the effort was for naught. She resignedly made her way over to Natsuki and Mai. "Hey," the redhead acknowledged moderately once she reached them, "made it."

"So I see," Mai began winsomely, "glad you could make it. Hold on," Mai turned around toward the table. Her hand roamed over the cups. "Um, this one," she picked it up and handed it to Nao. The redhead took it acceptingly and was about to sip when Natsuki stopped her.

"Hold it," the cerulean-haired girl eyed the cup. "Why is it blue? What's in it?"

Mai blinked, "I don't know."

Natsuki blinked back, confounded, "what do you mean, you don't know!?"

Mai rubbed the back of her head with her hand, laughing nervously. "Midori thought it'd be more fun if we had drinks with different colors, with different liquors in them – like a drinking game where you don't know what you're gonna get."

Natsuki quirked a brow, hesitant; she peered around Mai and, for the first time, saw a table full drinks that could fill every color of the rainbow. _Oh_. She felt herself become uneasy as she eyed her own drink. Her eyes snapped to Nao, who shrugged.

"Bottom's up?" A smirk curled across Nao's lips sportingly as she raised her cup.

Natsuki exhaled before joining Nao in their first experimental sip. It was a bit on the sour side, but good, to her surprise. She looked to Nao, who was judging her own drink.

"Sour?"

"Fruity," Nao responded, her tongue rolling at the flavors. "Not my taste, but not bad either," she shrugged before taking another swig.

"How fun," Shizuru came forward, intrigued by the clever idea while inspecting her own drink. "I guess that means that this will be my only one then, since I drove," she said, crestfallen for not being able to partake. Her crimson eyes then turned to the redhead, whose cool green eyes regarded the taller woman indifferently. "Ms. Yuuki, hello; it's quite the surprise to see you here."

Nao laid the back of her hand on her hip, arching a brow. "Didn't expect me to come?" she asked in an almost instigative tone.

Shizuru noticed the lilt in her voice but only rested a finger on her cheek thoughtfully. "No," she finally answered, her blunt tone disarming the women listening. Aware of her candor, she explained, "but only because I thought you didn't like karaoke parties. But please don't misunderstand me – I'm happy you decided to join us," the older woman finished pleasantly.

Nao eyed the other woman's features suspiciously before allowing herself to relax, deciding to take the gesture for what it was – an amicable offering. She removed her hand from her hip to deliver another airy shrug accompanied with a dismissively-arched brow, "I had nothing else to do, so-."

"NAO!" Lanky arms wrapped themselves around Nao's shoulders while strong legs enveloped her waist. The force and weight of the attacker caused her to wobble and rock back and forth as she tried desperately to recover her strength and balance. However, she was ultimately led to the floor, the contents of her drink miraculously finding its way back into her cup from the air it had been launched into upon impact.

"The hell?" she grumbled as she felt the body shift on top of her.

"Nao!" Mikoto acknowledged gaily, her golden eyes shining cheerily upon her old friend. They always had an odd relationship – "frenemies," perhaps some would call it. Though, since graduation, they had become less like enemies and more like friends – granted, this shift in their relationship was less like an agreement and more like a non-discussed decision on Mikoto's part. "Where have you been?" she asked as though she were a child chiding their parent for arriving home late. She leaned further over Nao's body, pressing her for answers. "Why don't I see you at school anymore?"

With her orientation finally re-established, Nao returned, "'Cause I left."

"Left?" Mikoto looked at her, puzzled.

Nao sighed, not wanting to explain but finding no other alternative that would satisfy the girl's curiosity enough to halt further questions. "I missed too many classes last year and decided not to re-enroll."

Mikoto blinked, taking in the information. "Well, when will you come back?"

The cat-like girl's innocent, childlike tone made Nao avert her gaze, uncomfortable. That was one thing that the redhead couldn't stand about Mikoto – her ability to make anyone feel guilty with her big golden eyes. "Um, well, I'm not sure. There are other things that I want to focus on instead," she trailed, not wanting to go further.

"Yes, I saw that," Shizuru began thoughtfully, shifting her weight onto her other leg and bringing a finger back to her cheek, "how unfortunate."

"You keeping tabs on me, Shizuru?" she was about to say sardonically, but when she turned to look up to the older woman, she stopped. Her eyes widened on their own accord as a shade of a memory passed before her: Shizuru looming over her; the relaxed posture; her eyes ablaze while semi-hidden beneath a curtain of chestnut bangs; purple snake-like heads twisting and curling predatorily behind her, snapping their jaws hungrily – from where she sat, this is what she saw. Her fingers twitched absently, reflexively, at the brief reminiscence. _No._ She roughly blinked her eyes as she dropped and shifted them over the floor, forcing herself back to the present - away from the cliff over the roaring ocean and the foot that had crushed her phone without apology.

After a second, she warily looked back up to find that the hallucination had indeed dispersed and was instead met with crimson eyes that now regarded her curiously. It somehow helped the redhead that the older woman's iconic Student Council President-attire was replaced with casual clothing – light-colored jeans and a fitted, hazelnut sweater, her hair loose around her shoulders. She was trying to remain open, to give bygones a chance at being bygones; but, to say that the unsolicited memory hadn't left her somewhat shaken would be a lie.

"What's the matter?" Natsuki asked, also perplexed at Nao's sudden pause, "alcohol already getting to your head?"

Nao turned to Natsuki, who stood at her other side. The cobalt-haired girl had her arms folded, her plastic cup held in the hand that was wrapped inside her elbow. Light green eyes caught the mirth that danced inside the darker ones. She arched a brow combatively at her words, a smirk carving across her face.

"No," she bluffed, "why? You saying you can out-drink me?" A dark grin carved further, her mind now preoccupied by the possibility of a challenge by her former nemesis.

The other girl met Nao's instigative smirk. "I have before," Natsuki lured – though in truth, their last match had ended in a stalemate with both girls passed out on the floor of Mai's apartment.

"Heh, yeah right," the redhead stood up, forcing Mikoto to give way from atop her, "you won't be able to sit up straight before I'm done - you're on!" With that, they took an immediate swig from their individual cups, commencing the competition. "Each person will keep their cups and, at the end of the night, we'll count who has the most," the redhead explained zealously.

"Right!" Natsuki enthused with a point of her finger, "and we have to drink all of what we pick – no cheating!"

"Yes!" Nao mirrored her pointed finger before taking another sip, as if purposely marking her confidence in her tolerance.

"I'll get the water ready," Mai muttered, turning to the table to prepare for the inevitable.

Shizuru smiled, entertained by the three women. Still, something about the expression on Nao's face only a moment ago left her uncertain - she couldn't quite place it at the time, but as she thought back, she couldn't help but feel that the emotion she saw was…

_Fear. _Wrapping an arm under her chest, Shizuru brought the knuckle of a curled forefinger to her chin, austere.

A few hours and several cups later, the party still hopped with several party-goers finally collecting the nerve to get up and present their singing ability. Nao and Natsuki, while they continued enjoying themselves (if a bit wobbly), still refused to show their skills on stage. Though they had been dragged on before, they were putting their foot down this time:

"No way!" Natsuki yelled, resisting Akane's tugs towards the low, wooden dais.

"I'm not going to make a fool out of myself in front of all these people!" Nao exclaimed fervently only a second before tripping laggardly over the couch, her body sprawling over the backrest and several seats. The cobalt-haired girl guffawed, her drink sloshing in its cup as her body shook with laughter.

Midori, Youko, Shizuru, Mai, Tate, Mikoto, Haruka and Yukino sat together, different colored drinks in each hand (though the former Student Council President and current Head of Security had turned to non-alcoholic).

"It's a little different from being Head of Security," Haruka explained, "but I like it. They've been teaching me self-defense maneuvers, and been letting me help on stake-outs, and I've been learning how to 'book' people – you know, putting them in our records before sending them to jail. And I've also been helping look up ex-cons." She threw her arm behind her head with casual pride, her fingers fiddling with the loose ponytail tied at her nape. "They say I'm the best at being the 'bad cop' in interrogations," she grinned.

"I believe it," several people in the group muttered, causing others to chortle. Yukino tried her best to stifle her own laughter.

The blonde laughed, not yet making the connection. "Yeah, I… wait," Haruka trailed, pausing before narrowing her eyes suspiciously at the group.

Nao and Natsuki sat close to the others, but far enough to where they felt they had some privacy to continue their competition in peace. At this point in the evening, Natsuki felt very much at ease – whether it was the light atmosphere of the party, the alcohol, or both, she wasn't sure. She looked to Nao and, though the younger girl seemed to be enjoying herself, Natsuki could sense some reservation coming from the girl across from her. She didn't feel it throughout the night, but occasionally - usually whenever the light green eyes happened to land on Shizuru.

Eventually, after catching the redhead's eyes flick to the older girl in the other group, Natsuki finally asked: "I understand you don't like her, but why do you keep looking at her like that?" she arched a brow, "what do you think she's going to do?"

There was a beat of contemplative silence. "I don't know," she admitted, swirling the contents of her cup gently, making little whirlpools, "that's what makes me nervous." At Natsuki's questioning look, she explained, "I'm used to predictable people – I like them because I know I can wrap my head around them, read them. The men I'd lure on the internet, they were all predictable." Nao looked down into her cup again, thoughtful, "Kids, they're sometimes predictable," her eyes flicked to Mikoto, the night she talked the young girl into assisting her with a lure only to have it disrupted by Natsuki and Mai passing through her head. "You," unthreatening light green eyes met the slightly darker ones, who looked back intently, "you were predictable," she said musingly. "But her – she's anything but." Nao remembered labeling Shizuru as predictable once, when she used Natsuki as bait to lure her into her twisting, spindling hands only to have it backfire in the worst way – her Child's death. "I don't like it."

While Natsuki disliked being called 'predictable,' she let it go for the moment and instead focused on the subject of their discussion. "While it's true that she can be unpredictable," she began, relating the word more toward the older girl's flirtatious tendencies than her violent past, she countered, "that doesn't mean that she's dangerous."

"Doesn't it?" Nao's eyes snapped to Natsuki's, catching the cobalt-haired girl off guard by the level of severity evident in the other girl's face – it wasn't overpowering her features, but she saw it flicker in her eyes. She wasn't aware of the images that swam through the younger girl's head at the question of the former Student Council President's emotional and mental integrity: _You think that evens the score after what you did to Natsuki?_

As the words replayed themselves in her head, the haze of alcohol forced her mind into dark depths that she had, for so long, refused to re-enter. She remembered the moment her knees collided with the building's rooftop, the realization of her mother's now-nonexistence sucking the air, spirit, soul, right out of her. When she heard Shizuru's words and saw the dark, insatiable look on the older girl's face – the hollow eyes and merciless smile - she felt nothing but fear and emptiness, unable to retaliate in any way. She felt as though she was cornered with no hope, no light at the end of the tunnel - it had been extinguished. A part of her was willing to give the rest of herself to the woman who became like an automaton of destruction and pain, as she had already lost what was most important to her; however, she could not help but feel stunned that her Child and most important person wasn't enough for Shizuru – that the older woman wanted more than the elimination of a HiME, but a life, all for someone who wanted neither.

Natsuki watched Nao's eyes darken, becoming detached from the world around her as she sank deeper into her own thoughts and memories. She saw the emotions flow across the younger girl's face – the pain, the fear, the uncertainty. Emerald eyes glanced to her other friend, who sat, chatting and laughing, living her life with as much mirth as she could after such traumatic events; she couldn't help but quirk a brow at what Nao had allowed herself to become after so long since the end of the HiME 'cycle' when everyone else had moved on.

"Aren't you taking this a bit too seriously?" Alcohol pushed the words from her brain to her mouth before she could stop them, and it wasn't until she saw Nao's sharp, penetrating look that she wished she could swallow them. Normally, she wouldn't care what Nao thought in response to her words, but the look that the redhead gave her made her feel like she had broken something precious beneath her feet – something that was irreparable.

"You would say that," Nao spat, watching as Natsuki's steady gaze shifted, bewildered at her words. "She didn't threaten your life – it was all about _you_." When Natsuki's eyebrows furrowed hotly at the redhead's reproach, Nao decided then she'd had enough of their conversation - clearly, Natsuki would never understand her and continue to take Shizuru's side despite everything the woman had done. To Nao, the older girl had lost sight of the facts concerning the former Student Council President – the personality behind that carefree exterior; she'd turned a blind eye to the past to keep the friendship of someone who murdered without remorse. The redhead decided she would never understand the cobalt-haired, feeling that, perhaps, a common ground could never be found on the matter and a possible friendship best left unexplored. Resolute in her feelings, Nao poured the rest of her drink down her throat and stood up to walk out the door.

Before Nao could take a second step, Natsuki's hand snapped onto Nao's wrist, holding her in place, "wait Nao," the cobalt-haired girl whispered harshly, almost vehemently; she'd grown tired of Nao's obstinate behavior and resolved to deal with the matter there and then – no longer was she going to tread on eggshells.

"Let go of me, Kuga. I'm out of here," she hissed, wrenching her arm back and quickly exiting the room. Unrelenting, the cobalt-haired girl followed suit, chasing the redhead as she tore down the stairs and out the front door. Nao, irritated at the other girl for not allowing her solitude, whirled around, her feet sliding on the sidewalk's cratered surface, meeting Natsuki's hard gaze head-on, "Are you really so stupid, Kuga?!" Nao almost bellowed, her body wobbling as the effects of her downed drink suddenly crashed into her head.

"What are you talking about?" Natsuki returned stormily, her patience thinning, not bothering to help Nao re-attain her stability.

Nao fixed her with a sharp - though somewhat fogged – look. "Your friend is a murderer – she killed people who had no chance of fighting back and she _loved_ it – she inflicted pain, finding pleasure in it – she did all of this practically in your name and yet you're content in calling her your best friend?" Nao arched a brow derisively, "are you really willing to stick your head so deep into the ground just to keep one person as a friend?" The redhead finished with a complacent scoff. "I thought you were smarter than that – stronger than that."

To Nao's mild intrigue, Natsuki didn't narrow her eyes or set her jaw in reprisal at her words. Instead, she lifted a cerulean brow combatively, "And what exactly makes you so different from Shizuru in the matter of causing pain?" she questioned imperiously.

Nao drew back, blindsided by the retort. "What's that supposed to mean?" she asked forebodingly, setting her eyes on the other girl.

"Yes, Shizuru was willing to inflict pain on people she barely knew – but so were you," Natsuki began, meeting Nao's intense stare, "you wanted to hurt me for what I did to your eye, and you wanted to hurt Takumi purely because he was Mai's brother and you wanted to make her suffer for being an orphan who was _liked_," the dark-haired girl watched as Nao set her jaw, knowing she had struck a cord that rung with truth. Natsuki cast her emerald eyes down to the sidewalk beneath her, "I didn't intend to hit your eye, I'm sorry," her eyes shifted back and forth on the pavement, unused to apologizing. Ignoring her mild self-consciousness, emerald eyes flicked back up to the younger girl's face and read the myriad of emotions it displayed, evident even in the dim light of the late-evening sky. "While I understand your desire to harm me then, how you felt about Mai doesn't justify your intent to harm Takumi. He was just an innocent in the game with no way to defend himself and you knew that; and you were willing to cause more reproach onto yourself from others, all for your own pleasure and self-satisfaction, when in the end you were an innocent as well and you knew it," she stated, remembering the moment when it was realized too late that Nao had been set up and became a victim of manipulation. Natsuki folded her arms, leaning her weight onto one leg and eyeing the other girl scrupulously, "How can you tell me that what you did, how you acted, was more just than Shizuru's actions? You took just as much pleasure in causing pain as she did."

"I," Nao began with eyes downcast and her body trembling, thrown by Natsuki's allegations of her character compared to Shizuru's – she didn't want to believe them, but she couldn't refute them either. "I'm not a bad person," was all she could say, angry at the hot wetness that pooled in her eyes and faint crack in her voice, blaming the alcohol for her lubricated emotions.

Natsuki stepped forward, confident and strong, "I know that," she pointed at herself, "and they know that," she pointed towards a window set high behind her, their friends' laughter billowing from the small, square opening. "But you have to understand that she isn't a bad person either," she admonished, hoping Nao would finally understand.

Nao's quaking diminished while she let the older girl's words gestate in her head, the wetness in her eyes receding. Light green eyes alternated between Natsuki and the floor, still unwilling to fully submit. "While I get your point, I feel like you've taken her side from the beginning and that you still are now," Nao knew she was being difficult, but her friends were few and far between and she wondered if Natsuki could be truly be one she could trust enough to call a friend.

Natsuki stepped back, resting her weight back on her leg again, "I'm not taking anyone's side," she declared, her gaze unwavering, "I'm just reminding you that you weren't the only victim in the Carnival and that she wasn't the only one to make mistakes." At Nao's silence, she added, "You're living too much in the past, Nao – you're pushing people away. Granted, I know that perhaps I was guilty of the same thing once," she said pensively, thinking of her mother and her own moments of dogmatic self-centered egotism; when she was so focused on the past that she barely noticed the finer details of the present: her features softened as she thought of her friends, her mind paying special attention to Shizuru's welcoming smile, "but I soon found out that thinking so much of the past kept me from realizing the truth about everything," her gaze dropped, "everyone," she added faintly, once again thoughtful for a brief second. Her gaze soon returned with brows lightly knit as she implored, "Can't you at least try to see her as someone other than who she became during the Carnival? Just give it a chance."

"I just can't take to her like you all can," Nao interrupted, her knuckles whitening on her balled fist, "you all have what you care for most right next to you – you and Yukino, you have your most important person back - mine is still in the hospital, unable to speak, touch, or even acknowledge me," the fist tightened further.

The older girl breathed, taking in her words. "I understand how that must hurt you," Natsuki said, her tone softening as she found herself sympathizing with the younger girl's situation with her mother – knowing what it felt like for a parent to be snatched from her life around unfortunate circumstances, "but what happened to your mother wasn't Shizuru's fault, and you know that." Natsuki's emerald orbs were strong yet solacing, "You have every right to feel distrustful of her, but don't blame her for things she didn't do."

Nao studied Natsuki's set face before her own slowly turned grim, knowing that what the older woman was saying was true and was only trying to help. But she didn't need help, and she wasn't looking for friendships – she was fine on her own, with or without her. She knew to accept Natsuki as a friend, she would have to accept Shizuru as well, and that was something she felt would end up breaking her. Shizuru had left a mark deep inside her that, even after all this time, left her in pain and regret for even knowing her. "I get what you're saying," she began, "but I can't," her eyes caught a taxi turning toward them from a nearby intersection, "not until she proves to me that she's different," she raised a hand, watching as the headlights approached and the signal blinked, "until then…"

Before the cerulean-haired girl could question the redhead further, a taxi came to a halt, its worn brakes screeching as it stopped. Nao opened the door and slid inside and, without another word, shut the door between them. Natsuki watched as it took off into the cool night air, not quite sure what to think of the whole situation anymore. She felt her shoulders slump as she released a weary sigh, her energy depleted from the entire night's festivities – both the positive and the negative. After a short moment of stagnation, she turned back towards the door, choosing to enjoy the rest of her night while she could.

Whether it was a brief afterthought of her conversation with Nao, or the bright lights pouring out from the lively room above her, Natsuki wasn't certain as her eyes were unconsciously led to an open window. While it wasn't so high that she couldn't look inside, she was unable to see anything other than shifting multi-colored lights upon off-white walls. She smiled as she recognized the voices within; however, the smile soon faded when she noticed a familiar wisp of tawny hair peeking out from the window's corner. She felt her heart drop, suddenly apprehensive. _Did she hear? _

Natsuki quickly sped inside, passed the lines of incoming patrons and up the stairs, bursting into the private room. Though not many people noticed Natsuki's re-entry, the cerulean-haired girl paid no attention to them as she searched for the window and the girl she had expected to see standing next to it. She discovered, however, that not only was their window closed, but the girl in question was a fair distance away from the window itself, standing at a table and chatting with Tate. _Was it a different room?_ She wondered as she recalled the hazelnut hair she saw. She wasn't sure what made her feel so anxious then, but she knew she didn't want Shizuru to know about what was spoken only seconds ago on the street. She didn't want to reopen old wounds – she didn't want to hurt her.

"Natsuki!" An arm flung around the cerulean-haired girl's shoulders, holding her crushingly-tight. "You totally just missed my song!" Mai almost bellowed in to the other girl's ear, the offensive noise and smell of hard alcohol on her breath making her grimace.

She laughed as she gently pushed the slightly inebriated girl off of her, "sorry, I just got caught up in something," she trailed, hoping the redhead wouldn't begin questioning her at a louder octave.

"Yeah, I saw that," the volume remained the same, the redhead giving what looked to be an exaggerated look of intrigue with a wave of a hand. Without warning, the redhead spun them around, guiding Natsuki back toward the table which now only contained a quarter of the original number of 'rainbow-drinks.' At random, Mai picked up a drink and handed it to Natsuki, who took it out of courtesy despite feeling put off by its brown color. After a beat, Mai spoke with a perplexedly-quirked brow, "this is a bit unlike you, isn't it?"

Natsuki's eyes rose to meet Mai's and was surprised by the amount of clarity evident in her friend's purple orbs despite the amount of alcohol likely consumed (judging by her breath). "What do you mean?" she asked, bewildered.

"You normally don't care about what other people think of you or your choice in friends. Why do you care so much about what Nao thinks? I mean, aren't you trying a bit hard?" Mai asked honestly, speaking only from the amount of time Natsuki had been missing since leaving the room behind Nao – she could tell that their conversation must have gotten heated for it to take as long as it did for Natsuki to return. "I know that you want Nao and Shizuru to come to some sort of understanding and avoid future arguments, but,"

"It's not about Shizuru," Natsuki interjected calmly, thankful for the music drowning out the bulk of her voice from others nearby, "not really." Noting Mai's look of confusion, she explained, "I'm sure Nao has figured out by now that I don't plan on ending my friendship with Shizuru; and that to be friends with me, she must accept Shizuru's presence in my life," emerald orbs fell to the floor, "but, really, I don't care if she ever forgives Shizuru. That's her prerogative. I know what I know about Shizuru and that's enough for me. I just don't want her to feel," Natsuki paused, wanting to refrain from using a word that she, at that moment, couldn't find a decent replacement for, "I don't want her to feel alone – like no one cares enough to understand her and that she could get by without needing anyone and tossing friendships away when she needs them most."

"Like you did?" Mai asked, tilting her head to meet the fallen emerald orbs, a knowing smirk carving across her face.

Natsuki pinked despite herself, "yes," she admitted, suddenly self-conscious, like she had opened to a page of her diary and held it in front of the redhead's face for her to read. "I know she can handle herself, but I guess a part of me feels like I should reach out to her – let her know that despite what she thinks or feels about me, she's not alone."

Mai's next action was far worse than what the cerulean-haired girl had expected from her friend – she brought her into a tight bear-hug, pressing the side of her face into her ample bosom, causing some of her brown drink to rock and slosh out of its cup and spilling onto the floor behind Mai. "Aw, you're such a sweetheart beneath that cold exterior, Natsuki!" The redhead declared gaily, knowing she was crossing the line of Natsuki's comfort zone.

"P-please let me go Mai," she pleaded, her reddening face beginning to sweat from the heat of Mai's chest._ Was that a compliment? _Natsuki wondered with an arched brow.

"Only if you agree to sing a song," Mai playfully bargained, grinning confidently.

_Is she serious?_ Natsuki thought dubiously, questioning if Mai would really keep her head locked against her breasts for the rest of the night if she said no. "No way," she tested.

Mai matched her quirked brow, her smirk broadening, "then you have just sealed your fate, my dear Natsuki."

Shizuru dropped her keys into the glass basin by the door, setting her purse beside the mahogany side-table on which the wide bowl rested. She brewed a cup of her favorite tea and seated herself out on the balcony, the heat from the ceramic cup warming her fingers against the slight chill of the late night air. She breathed in the crisp fall air, barely taking notice of the lingering, sweet yet musky scent of leaves beginning to ripen and change color. City lights dotted the streets below while office and apartment lights scattered multi-story buildings like a circuit board; still, none of them seemed to register in the hazelnut-haired girl's head.

Perhaps it was because after several months of living in this apartment, the view itself was nothing new to her now. Or, maybe staring blindly into otherwise scenic views seemed to be something that her brain required when her thoughts traveled at the depths that they were at that moment:

'_Can't you at least try to see her as someone other than who she became during the Carnival? Just give it a chance.'_

Shizuru arched a brow musingly after several minutes of absorbing what she had overheard from the streets that evening. She hadn't intended to eavesdrop – it was by pure happenstance that she stood by the window. Akane had closed it, murmuring something about the room becoming chilly; it seemed that she didn't miss much else since it was only seconds before Natsuki entered the room, breathing somewhat heavily and eyes examining the room – though she wasn't sure if she was looking for her or just checking to see if other people noticed her exit and were inquisitive of her absence and Nao's disappearance. By that point in the evening, most everyone was too involved in catching up with others and listening to karaoke singers to pay attention.

She hadn't heard everything that was spoken – some of their words were drowned out by voices and music. But, she got the gist of what their discussion was about when her name floated to her ear several times; it became clear to her now that Natsuki was attempting to establish a friendship with the young girl, and she was the deterrent.

'_Not until she proves to me that she's different,'_ Shizuru recalled the words, her features stoic while her fingers felt the smooth ripples of her cup. While she regretted what she did during the Carnival – who she hurt and how she hurt them - Shizuru never felt she had to prove herself to anyone other than Natsuki; however, if her actions were keeping her from enjoying possible friendships with others…

The hazelnut-haired girl exhaled, _but what can I do? _She lifted her mug to her lips, allowing herself a moment to enjoy the taste of the immaculately-brewed tea, its comfortably-warm temperature coaxing her muscles to mitigation. Nao's facial expression that evening, the moment where Shizuru saw a glimmer of anxiety when light green eyes met hers from the floor, surfaced within her head. She sighed again, unsure if she could ever change the mind of a girl who clearly held such a severe opinion of her. What could she do to rectify her past deeds?

Her mind drawing nothing, she lifted the edge of her mug to her lips and stopped, her eyes flicking blindly onto the view past her balcony's railing. _She yelled something,_ she thought, summoning a far-from-distant memory from a time that was not yet distant enough: she stepped off the building's rooftop, landing effortlessly onto one of Kiyohime's many heads and rode her into the ostensibly-lifeless city towards the affiliate organizations she promised Natsuki she'd eliminate for her. Her emotionally-turbulent mind set on the objective, she barely registered the collapsed redhead's scream echoing from behind. _What did she say?_ Her tawny brows furrowed slightly as she tried to recall; eventually, a brow arched.

A moment passed as Shizuru brought a curled knuckle to her chin. She let another few beats of silence pass as she let her thoughts roam.

'_You and I are a lot alike.' _

"Hmm," she eventually murmured, "a kindred spirit, indeed."

"Son of a," Nao murmured as she adjusted her position once again, never having found the offered seat comfortable. You'd think after close to ten years the hospital could have upgraded the chairs in the doctors' offices. Or was the chair something that personally belonged to Dr. Sato and he just never bothered to change it? She didn't know, and she never felt the need to ask since this wasn't the place where discussing chairs was the given primary topic.

With her thumb, she began flipping her phone open and shut – a subliminal sign of growing impatience. She had been sitting in the virtually uncluttered office room for what felt like twenty minutes, staring at collections of books in wooden shelves, worn, gray filing cabinets and various, odd trinkets that scattered the front of his faux-oak desk and open spaces in shelves. Sunlight cut through the blinds of the window behind his desk and poured into the room, brightening the space the best it could in the few hours it had left to shine onto the city before falling below the horizon. Though she was used to seating herself in Dr. Sato's office, to be asked to come in at an hour and day that wasn't routine left her somewhat anxious.

Beforehand, she had periodic meetings with Dr. Sato a couple times a year for the purpose of keeping her updated on any developments in her mother's health – whether there was any to share or not. The majority of the time she was left with nothing more than the usual information – she is stable, but not a great deal of progress in her recovery yet. "We can only hope for the best, Ms. Yuuki," Dr. Sato would say, trying to appear positive toward the young girl who, by this point, hoped for the best but didn't expect it.

Upon hearing a familiar gait of thick, padded shoes in the hall, Nao sat up from her slouched position just in time for the older doctor to come through the door. "Ms. Yuuki, thank you for coming," he said as he swung around the edge of his desk and took a seat in his chair, not looking up from the file he was reading until he pulled himself under his desk. His voice was somewhat raspy, likely from his habitual smoking. His hair, formerly jet black, was beginning to turn to a salt-and-pepper color. Despite his voice and hair, his face, though worn from working overnight several times a month, made him look younger than he appeared: he was in his late fifties, but could probably pass for mid-forties. Perhaps it was his build – fairly tall, with an average body.

His brown eyes looked at her through his rectangular, wireframe spectacles. "I'm sure you're wondering why I asked you to come see me so soon after our last meeting," he began, continuing before Nao could respond, "well, it's because I have some news about your mother's medical care that should make you very happy." Normally, he made sure to maintain the poker face he was expected to keep as a doctor to his patients and their relatives; this time, however, he couldn't contain his smile.

When Nao's eyes brightened, he immediately searched for the email he had received that morning. His words came sporadically as he sifted through other mass emails, "according to this newsletter we received, it seems," a pause as he read subject lines, "the hospital now has enough funds," upon finding the desired email, he clicked and printed, then searched for the paperwork he saved on various applicable treatments as he waited, "to purchase the necessary materials to help expedite your mother's recovery," he gathered the papers together, circling the relevant paragraphs with a blue pen, "once the materials arrive and are set, we will immediately begin the treatments. If everything works as we expect, your mother's recovery time will likely be largely reduced," he finally concluded, smiling brightly.

Nao regarded the doctor cautiously, as though desperate to not raise her hopes to high. "Are you certain?"

"Absolutely," he said, happy to finally sound confident towards Nao.

Nao fell silent, feeling shell-shocked as she skimmed over the papers handed to her, unsure of what to look for outside of what Dr. Sato told her. After so many years of working with him, she trusted his word and knew he would do anything to bring her mother back. The only hindrance that Dr. Sato couldn't overcome was the hospital's lack of proper supplies and medicants meant to aid her mother's case. Now, that no longer seemed to be an issue and could work on healing her mother's injuries undeterred.

Dr. Sato saw Nao's eyes begin to shine in the sunlight as she read the papers. He felt emotion well up in his chest at the sight but kept himself composed – he knew Nao since she was a little girl, standing beside her mother's bedside, looking helpless and alone. It warmed him to see those darkened eyes finally glow. He cleared his throat, setting himself back in this chair and reading the email on his monitor, "Yes, it seems we were given a handsome donation. Truly unexpected, especially from a company that doesn't typically donate to hospitals – as a medical supplier, that is," he exhaled thoughtfully, "the Fujino family will surely be in our debt for this."

Nao's eyes then snapped to Dr. Sato, whose eyes remained glued to the screen. _The Fujino family?_ She felt a torrent of emotions whirl through her, leaving her, in the end, lost for words. Soon, however, she felt vexation settle into her muscles, _Kuga…_

"That's quite the thing you do, don't you think – buying friendships?"

Natsuki had been looking over postings on a notice board when she heard a voice not far behind her. The halls of Fuuka Academy had become almost barren of life – straggling students, club members and athletes still roamed the corridors, but most of the student body had vacated the school after finishing their lessons for the day. Mid-afternoon sunlight streamed through the windows, warming the otherwise neutral tone of the walls. Still, the sunlight did nothing to warm Nao's chilly gaze.

Natsuki looked at her, perplexed, "what?"

"Don't play dumb," Nao said, her knit brows mirroring the other girl's, "you just ran and told Shizuru everything, didn't you? You told her that I needed to be proven that she's changed in order for you and I to come to any kind of friendly understanding with her around – tell me, was donating her idea, or are you so desperate for friends that you'd tell your 'best friend' to donate money to my mother's hospital all for you?" The redhead's hands balled into fists by her hips – she was furious at the older girl in front of her. She hated that her greatest weakness, something she had struggled with the most and meant so much to her, always seemed to be in Shizuru's hands. It was with the hazelnut-haired girl's hands that her mother was taken away from her – and now, it was because of those same hands that her mother's recovery was finally within Nao's reach. Though who she cared for most might finally regain the life she once had, she hated that she still felt so helpless, so powerless in the whole situation. What she hated most, however, was that the cobalt-haired girl felt that she had to go the sentimental route – something Nao had always kept guarded with lock and key – to win Nao's trust; and worse yet, orchestrate it with the person Nao distrusted the most. As far as the redhead was concerned, Natsuki had taken several steps backward as a result.

Natsuki bristled at Nao's words and turned to mirror Nao's tight body language, "I don't know what the hell," she began brusquely, then stopped, her mind taking in the information she just heard: _donation? _

Nao didn't wait for her to continue, countering Natsuki's incomplete retort "Am I supposed to believe that her family's money practically flooded the hospital's bank account this week by pure coincidence?" Nao asked skeptically.

"Yes and no," came a calm voice behind Nao, making the redhead jump slightly. Nao turned around and found Shizuru standing behind her, her face almost stoic, stern. Crimson eyes gazed down at her. "Natsuki had nothing to do with my family's decision to donate money to your mother's hospital, so please don't accuse her of something she had no part in."

Nao took a step away from the hazelnut-haired girl but held her gaze, "I read up on your family's company – you supply hospitals and clinics with big medical equipment and supplies. Why would your company want to donate money when the purpose of the business is to make money by selling things?" Nao interrogated, dubious, hoping the question would corner the other girl.

Unperturbed, Shizuru only raised a finger to her cheek, shifting her weight on her legs as she explained, "True, my father doesn't usually donate to hospitals – like you said, he's a distributor," she began, "but, he had been considering the idea of offering money to hospitals in need of equipment or supplies that we don't offer in lieu of his equipment. He hopes that his charity will generate more support for his company and, therefore, future buyers," she then smiled, "all I did was suggest a hospital to him."

Nao looked at her, uncertain of how to take her, "so, you just randomly chose my mother's hospital?" she asked, once again dubious.

Shizuru's smile fell slightly, not out of distaste, but rather falling back into a certain level of austerity, "not randomly, no, which is what I meant when I said 'yes and no' to your comment about coincidence," she tilted her head, as though to show a sense of offering, "I purposely chose your mother's hospital, hoping that my family's money will aid your family in some way after what I had done to you. I would be lying if I said my actions haven't haunted me even today; so I'm hoping that, with this, you'll forgive me and will allow me to feel as though I have done some good by Natsuki and you in the end."

Light green eyes stared at the taller girl, now at a complete loss for words. A part of her wanted to reject her offer – the part that still hurt and burned with vengeance from the past and Shizuru's previous mercilessness upon her; another part of her couldn't help but feel as though she, somehow, understood the other woman's pain. She remembered Natsuki's words last time they spoke: _How can you tell me that what you did, how you acted, was more just than Shizuru's actions?_ The light green eyes briefly cast themselves down to the hallway floor before sweeping to Natsuki. The emerald eyes met hers and she read them clearly – the furrowed brows and bright, absorbing eyes displayed her cluelessness to the situation and, indeed, the cobalt-haired girl appeared to be completely disconnected from the Fujino donation – Shizuru had done this entirely on her own.

Nao's whitened knuckles slowly regained color as her unconscious grip softened. She thought of Natsuki's words again and soon realized, perhaps Shizuru and her weren't all that different either – they were pawns in a twisted game, and neither cared enough to change that fact when it came to protecting who they loved. They would play along with the Obsidian Lord's plan, as long as they had the power to fight anyone or anything who dared threaten their most important person. Like Shizuru, Nao was willing to hurt people; not caring for the consequences, all for the sake of the person they loved. How ironic it was, really, that both women had reached a moment where, though their most important person still existed, they thought they had lost them forever:_ every one of us experienced what it was like to lose someone - though you didn't lose Natsuki physically, you thought you lost her emotionally. I know what that's like, with my mom being unconscious, unable to talk to me, look at me._

"No," she began, stunning both girls for a second before she continued, "No I," she trailed, her thoughts continuing to gestate in her head as she spoke, "I understand."

Neither Natsuki nor Shizuru could hide the hint of surprise on their features at the turn the younger girl took then. Considering the redhead's previous animosity towards the older woman, they had half-expected more reluctance, or perhaps equivocal acceptance towards Shizuru's oblation. But, seeing and hearing what sounded to be a full exoneration directly from the redhead had left them bemused. The way the light green eyes rested on the floor, both were curious what exactly she was thinking at that moment.

_Shizuru isn't a bad person either._ Nao exhaled, her eyes finally returning to the crimson eyes, staring deep into them, examining them, trying to find the person Natsuki claimed she was. As she gazed into them, she realized something about the older woman's full eyes that she hadn't realized before: her hollow eyes back then didn't represent aimless hunger for blood, but fear, anger and loss; loss of hope – of everything dear to her, and fear that she may never have it returned to her. She glanced towards Natsuki, who stood silent, waiting for her to continue.

After another brief moment, she turned her light green eyes back to Shizuru and finally spoke, "you were only protecting the one you loved with everything you had, no matter what it came down to; I can understand that." A few seconds passed as the redhead remained thoughtful. "I tried to hurt and humiliate the one you loved most – if you threatened my mother, I suppose I would have wanted to destroy what you cherished most as well," light green eyes glanced to Natsuki again, whose features had turned stolid at Nao's attestation. Her eyes fell to the floor again, "Perhaps it just took me too long to realize all this," she muttered with a sigh. Another moment passed, light green orbs remaining downcast; then with another resigned sigh, Nao did something that surprised both girls: she gave Shizuru a formal bow, "thank you for your family's generosity." Nao couldn't mask the crimson blush that filled her cheeks – she wouldn't have otherwise done such an act if she didn't feel the gift merited the gesture, but it still left her feeling awkward and sheepish in front of her former enemy.

Shizuru's stunned expression soon softened, and she smiled, "Of course. I apologize if this 'olive branch' appears indirect, by the way – I would have offered a small sum of my family's money on my own, but the money would ultimately have to come from the company since my parents support me, so something would have to be written in the books either way," she explained with a pleasant, airy shrug.

"I guess I get that." Nao said, regarding the other woman coolly. After a moment of stillness between the three girls, the redhead decided to shake the grave mood from her body and allowed herself to relax. "But just so you know, that doesn't mean I'm going to be super-nice to you or anything," she followed with an airy shrug of her own.

Shizuru met the younger girl with a cordial smile that seemed to mirror Natsuki's knowing look, "I'll accept that."

"Good, 'cause, it's not my style anyway," she stretched lazily. "Well, I better leave – I don't want to spend any more time in this place than I have to, so,"

"Speaking of that, why were you here anyway, Nao?" Natsuki finally asked, her voice now getting its chance to break through the quiet halls. Though she had other questions of her own, she had remained silent to allow Shizuru and Nao to talk uninterrupted. "I thought you dropped out."

The redhead turned to Natsuki, "I'm, um," the sheepish look that slowly grew on her face betrayed her otherwise blithe demeanor. Her eyes dropped as she rolled her shoulders and shifted her weight, crossing her arms, "now that I don't have to worry about my mother's recovery as much, I've decided to re-enroll," she explained, then soon turned to give Shizuru a hard look, "but don't make a big deal out of it."

"Of course," Nao couldn't tell if Shizuru was being truthful or playful as she spoke, the odd smile leaving her uncertain.

At that point, however, she didn't feel like spending the rest of the day trying to figure her out. "Well, like I said, I don't want to spend any more time here than I have to," she turned her back to the women and waved, not looking back as she strode away, "in the meantime, try to contain yourself a little better while around Kuga, Fujino."

"I'll do my best," Shizuru murmured playfully, her retort more for Natsuki's reaction than Nao's.

Natsuki, hearing Shizuru's comment, was about to give the hazelnut-haired girl a chastising glare when, "seeya Butch," rang through the desolate hallway. Emerald eyes snapped toward the departing girl. Agitated at the redhead's chosen mock-insult, she was about to fire back but halted, finding herself unable to keep the small smirk from forming on her face.

"You didn't have to do that, Shizuru," Natsuki said as they walked into the school's parking lot, the afternoon shifting to a deeper orange with every hour.

"Yes, but I felt I had to, for you."

Natsuki looked at the other woman, who strode beside her in a burgundy blouse and maroon pants, "for me?"

"I don't want my mistakes to be a hindrance on any part of your life, Natsuki," she said sincerely, turning her crimson eyes onto the questioning emerald. "Though I would like you all to myself," she teased, "I know I shouldn't more selfish than I've already been. I want you to have anyone you want as a friend – I don't want your possible friendships to be dependant on me because of what I've done."

As Natsuki listened to her friend's words, she felt as though her heart was sinking for her. She looked away from the gaze that held hers and instead stared towards the trunks of faintly-rustling trees at the other end of the lot. "You shouldn't feel that way," she muttered, "I don't want you to feel like you're a burden on me. I know you've regretted what you've done, so,"

"But I don't regret what I did," Shizuru interjected, almost matter-of-factly.

Emerald eyes snapped to the calm crimson orbs upon her, uncertain of how to take her friend's assertion, "what do you mean?"

Reading the dark-haired girl's hesitant expression, her gaze fell to the asphalt, "perhaps I should rephrase," she murmured more to herself than to anyone else, clasping her hands in front of her as she reconstructed her words. After a minute, she managed, "I regret what I did; but I don't regret how I felt," a beat passed as she slowly, inconspicuously wrung her hands, "you understand." The request for confirmation came more as a soft, general plea than a question, the crimson eyes examining her friend's features.

It took a minute for Natsuki to recognize what the hazelnut-haired girl was trying to express. If she hadn't looked into Shizuru's eyes and caught the glimmer of emotion - of sincerity, hope and love – she probably wouldn't have realized just how deep her words ran in the older girl. As she considered her assertion, she slowly began to understand what she meant: she wasn't talking only about her love and desire for Natsuki, but also the darker emotions that filled her mind and heart and guided her down a path which she felt was the only route to attaining Natsuki's love. Loss, anguish, pain – they were all extensions of Shizuru's love for the younger girl and, therefore, were still a part of her despite never being revealed before. She didn't regret the pain because she didn't regret loving her, Natsuki realized.

As they came to her bike, Natsuki let her attention rest on the taller girl, "I wouldn't want you to, Shizuru," she said softly, not yet bothering to ready her bike until she said what she wanted to say, "they're your feelings," Natsuki let her eyes fall onto the riding gloves in her hands, "no one should ever feel bad about how they feel. Otherwise, what would be the point of feeling?" Natsuki asked though she wasn't looking for an answer, choosing to let the conversation trail.

Crimson orbs watched the cerulean-haired girl slip on her lightly-armored gloves. She smiled, warmed by Natsuki's perspective on the matter and her acceptance. Though the emerald-eyed girl still didn't look at her, Shizuru could tell Natsuki felt her smile upon her by the gentle blush that slowly colored her cheeks. The tawny-haired girl's smile carved into a small, tight, mischievous grin.

Before Natsuki could get into her leathers, a flash of movement caught the corner of her eye. She looked over and found Shizuru mounting the bike with a wide swing of her leg, kicking back the kickstand with her flats and straddling the sport bike, sitting high up on the seat and grasping the handlebars. With baffled, furrowed brows, Natsuki watched as the older girl eyed the bike expectantly.

"What do you think you're doing?" Natsuki asked, incredulous at the other girl's implicated proposition.

Bright red orbs snapped up to her, "I'm driving," Shizuru said matter-of-factly, as though it were obvious. She smiled excitedly as she began fiddling with switches and levers.

"You are NOT driving!" Natsuki asserted as she quickly shimmied into her suit, "you don't even _know_ how to drive!" She quickly produced her keys from her schoolbag.

"Natsuki could teach me?" Shizuru offered sweetly, her hands roaming over the handlebars' rubber grips again. The experience was short-lived as the older woman was soon pushed back onto the passenger seat, her view blocked by Natsuki's lithe form. The bike bounced as the suspensions absorbed the additional weight.

"Not today, I'm not," Natsuki muttered, whipping her cascading azure hair about her shoulders before sliding her helmet on. She felt Shizuru's playful pout as her arms encircled her waist, and smirked.

_Several days later,_

"Does this belong to you?"

Natsuki stood, flabbergasted at what she saw behind her door.

Natsuki had received a text message from Nao asking her for her address and telling her that she better be home. She felt it odd that Nao would send her such a text message late on a Friday night, but she had been lounging in her apartment anyway. Though she expected Nao to show up at her door, she never would have foreseen what was presented to her.

Nao stood, desperately trying to hold up what appeared to be a semi-conscious Shizuru, whose arm was slung around Nao's shoulders - the redhead holding her wrist in one hand and her waist in another.

Natsuki only blinked, "What happened!?"

Nao, unable to hold Shizuru's weight for much longer, stormed passed Natsuki and dropped her on the couch. The redhead huffed, catching her breath as she straightened her aching back. "I found her in the commons - you know, that street with all the benches," she breathed, "I used to meet guys I met on the internet there," her gaze dropped as she breathed again, missing Natsuki's eye roll at the superfluous information. "Anyway," she began, finally catching her breath with one last deep inhale and exhale, "she comes practically stumbling out of a bar, saying goodbye to what looked like teachers from Fuuka Academy, and bumps right into me."

"Teachers?"

"Yeah, she told me it was a faculty get-together and the tutors were invited."

Natsuki looked down and noticed her attire – it was the same type of outfit she's wear at school, dressy but professional. It had, by this point, accumulated some crinkles, however. Natsuki tried to draw the girl up to lie more comfortably on the couch, resting her head on the armrest. Her tawny fringe barely curtained her closed eyes. Natsuki noticed her labored breathing and was relieved to find that she had fallen asleep.

"You saw her at the commons? How'd you get her here?"

"We took a cab," Nao answered casually, "she said she was going to get one on her own and just wait for it there, but," the redhead glanced away, "I um, I know how the commons are at night – I saw some creeps already eyeing her. If she wasn't so drunk, I woulda just left her there, but," she paused, "didn't feel right to me, and the way she was walking and talking, I wasn't sure she'd even make it to her door." She paused, letting a beat pass as she ignored Natsuki's soft look upon her. "She didn't start passing out till we were in the cab, so I guess I'm lucky," her eyes wandered as she paused again, "she did try to grope me though – I think she thought I was you," she teased, stonefaced.

Natsuki's cheeks reddened as she gave her a short glare, "funny," she said humorlessly. She stood up, "well, thank you, Nao," she said as she covered the sleeping girl with a wool blanket.

"Yeah, yeah, don't mention it," the redhead waved her hand dismissively as she turned to head out the door, and then stopped, "oh," she turned back to Natsuki and held out her hand expectantly. At Natsuki's puzzled look, she spoke, "cab fare?" she tilted her head, "I did bring your girlfriend to your safe, loving arms," she smirked impishly at the blush that filled Natsuki's face. The cerulean-haired girl said nothing as she collected some yen and threw it into the redhead's hand. Nao gave her a casual salute with her filled hand in thanks and departed.


	3. Unexpected Emptiness?

Hello all :)

As you've probably noticed, this chapter is much shorter than the previous ones – and that was something I had expected. Still, I hope it provides you with some entertainment and afterthought ^^. I started the next chapter after I had finished this one – mainly so that I could leave this one and return to it and add anything I felt might need to be added; so the next chapter is already in the works ^^.

Remember kiddies, I own nothing from the makers of this anime.

Chapter 3: Unexpected Emptiness?

'Shhh-clink'

_Back,_ _tap-tap. Right._ _Hmm, tap forward. Tap forward. Right. Too far - left. Tap right. And…_

Natsuki pressed the red button on the joystick and watched unblinkingly as the crane dropped into a pool of plastic capsules. She had just finished her shift at the diner and now stood in the newly-built arcade next door, occupying her time as she waited for Mai to finish her given chores so that they could walk home together from work. Not everyone knew of her interest in certain arcade games, but Natsuki preferred it that way. But then, people who realized Natsuki's interest in games were never really surprised, considering the cerulean-haired girl's often-competitive nature.

She smirked with pride as the metal claws encompassed the egg-shaped container and retracted to the roof of the machine, the capsule still clutched in its grasp. Each capsule held an item of unknown value, thus no one knew what to expect from within each container.

"Another one? How do you do that?" Mai said as she approached Natsuki from behind her, impressed by her skill.

Emerald eyes remained fixed on the prize, her smirk broadening at Mai's words. "Good depth perception, I suppose," she shrugged in response before bending to collect the deposited prize from the machine. Wasting no time, opened the plastic capsule and found a small, gold heart hanging around a thin, gold chain.

"That's a pretty necklace," Mai commented, captured by its modest beauty, "are you going to keep it?"

Natsuki eyed the jewelry pooled in her palm. It was pretty, she thought; and the way the edges shined in the light, it would probably look nice with her features. Emerald eyes trailed contemplatively, "Shizuru's birthday is coming up and I haven't been able to find anything for her yet - maybe she'd like it," she mused before stuffing the prize in her over-the-shoulder bag.

"Speaking of whom, where is she again?" Mai asked, curious at her absence from school.

"She's in New York, visiting her parents," Natsuki answered as she readjusted her bag.

"In New York?" the redhead parroted, almost flabbergasted by the new information.

"Yeah, I guess her family has a branch of their business in New York, so they live there for a part of the year and live in Kyoto for the other part," Natsuki explained simply, as though unmoved by it. When Shizuru had first told her, she was as surprised as Mai – it was halfway around the world, after all; and in New York, one of the most famous cities in the world! However, by this point she had already absorbed the information and had become indifferent to it.

"Wow," Mai expressed as they began to leave, "I wonder what that must be like – having your family work and live so far away," she trailed thoughtfully.

"I dunno," she replied, also somewhat thoughtful. Her thoughts didn't encompass Mai's question however, as she had already, briefly pondered that upon first hearing Shizuru's assertion and explanation of her departure to America. Now, she was once again pensive on why she hadn't learned it all before now; they had been friends for several years – shouldn't she have known about her family's business and living situation before? Had she been so impassive to their friendship then that she didn't notice her absence before? Did she not care to ask? Or was she told and she just didn't remember? Not entirely aware of her discomfort, Natsuki pursed her lips unconsciously.

They came to the bus stop and patiently stood on the curb as they waited for their line. "So, with Shizuru gone, are you going to be free from tutoring till she gets back?" the redhead asked with mild curiosity.

Natsuki set her bag atop the metal bench behind her, offering her shoulder some relief from the weight since it contained a mish-mash of personal belongings and school supplies. "She said that I should go to this 'Ms. Horiuchi,' while she's gone," Natsuki began, watching as other people began to collect around the checkpoint while the bus slowly approached, "we're supposedly going to be having a pop quiz sometime this week in my literature class – if we didn't have that, then I probably wouldn't have bothered till she returned."

Mai turned to her friend somewhat wide-eyed, appearing virtually unaware of the bus's halting stop beside her, "Oh boy, I've heard Ms. Horiuchi's a real hard-ass for someone almost our age. I guess she made a third-year cry the other day."

Natsuki quirked a brow; she had overheard similar things about the other tutor here and there within Fuuka, but she paid it no mind, thinking it was just complaining underclassmen talking. She waited wordlessly while those departing the bus cleared the way for those about to board.

"Well," the other girl dismissively rolled her shoulders before pulling the strap of her bag over her shoulder, soon rummaging her bag for the appropriate fare, "we'll see what happens. I want to bring my grades back up so if I have to meet with a frigid tutor one time to do it, then so be it." The small group slowly entered the bus, several travelers offering money and presenting tickets to the driver. The stale scent of the city hung within the bus, assailing those who entered.

"You're a braver woman than I, then," Mai breathed as she slid herself into a vacant seat, Natsuki soon following suit. "Hey, by the way, I saw you put up a post in the diner entryway – you're offering to walk dogs?" she soon asked, intrigued by Natsuki's unspoken decision.

The other girl shrugged, "yeah, I mean I like dogs and I'd like to get some extra money for myself and for the holidays," she said with a light lilt, as though hopeful. "I had been looking at the school's bulletin board for possible part-time job offerings for a while now, but there wasn't anything I really liked, so I decided to make one for myself."

"Any bites yet?" Mai asked, holding on as the bus rocked against its acceleration and began weaving through the traffic.

"Nope, but I gave my number on the flyer, so maybe I'll get a call soon," just then, she flipped open her phone, giving its lit screen a brief glance.

"Ah," Mai began with a quirked brow, "so that's why you've been checking your phone so much, eh?"

"Eh," the other girl quickly shoved her phone back into her bag, making sure to hide her minute blush, "yeah."

_And people called _me_ 'Ice Queen'? _Natsuki thought tersely, her muscles still taut with anxiety after an excruciatingly-long one-hour session in the otherwise empty classroom. It had been two days since she talked to Mai and now she was glad for her friend's forewarning of the woman. Ms. Horiuchi wasn't just frigid, she felt; to her, she presented the epitome of the cold, impatient, almost merciless tutor that everyone feared to have. And sure, perhaps she was exaggerating - the wounds were still fresh, after all - but the way that woman corrected Natsuki's answers she might as well have fired bullets. _That was just abusive! _

The cerulean-haired girl let out a sigh, trying to settle her nerves as she strode down the school's steps towards the parking lot. The school's front lawn and paved walkway was still littered with straggling students waiting for friends and chatting over possible weekend get-togethers before heading home for the day. She made her way to her bike and expertly slid into her leathers; she often felt people staring as she did this, but she didn't care – riding in a skirt was never comfortable. She stored her phone into a thin pocket of her suit, threw on her helmet and rode to the school's gate.

Killing her bike's engine, she sat up and crossed her arms. Several minutes passed; the sun's speed across the sky had quickened, trying to keep up with the season's slow shift into winter. After an hour, Natsuki, beginning to notice the sky's warm hues and the trees' broadening shadows, was about to check her phone for the third time before it hit her.

_Oh,_ she snapped her phone shut and shoved her phone back into her pocket, _what am I doing?_ She quickly started up her bike's engine; _she's not even here, why I am waiting? _Though annoyed at herself for not thinking and wasting her own time, she inwardly quirked a brow at the irony; _force of habit, I guess, _she reasoned. She was about to roll the accelerator at her hand but soon paused, idling on the asphalt as her thoughts began to wander: _but then, she hasn't texted me since she left; so really, she hasn't been giving me much of a chance to be reminded_.

In truth, Natsuki wasn't aware of just how frequently she had been checking her phone until Mai mentioned her notice of Natsuki's new habit. Still, the cerulean-haired girl wasn't about to admit the true reason behind her gravitation to her phone's inbox. It had been a week since Shizuru's departure – she had expected at least _something_ by now, be it a picture of something random or even a coquettish joke at Natsuki's expense concerning something the tawny-haired girl had seen or experienced.

Of course, she knew that Shizuru didn't have to be the one to send the first text; she too had the option of texting her friend – since Shizuru's family traveled so much, Shizuru carried a phone with a global plan, so country-to-country texts and calls weren't an issue and Natsuki still had plenty of her father's money to spend on a few long-distance texts. But, she couldn't help but feel some trepidation toward the idea – what would she say? What if she interrupted something special, like a family meal or some event?

That was another thing – she didn't know anything about Shizuru's parents. Were they the invasive, questioning types and quickly interrogate Shizuru on the text's sender? Would they be put off by Natsuki's 'insensitivity' of texting during something important? A part of her knew that she was likely thinking too much on something so diminutive as a small message, but she couldn't help it – it was easier just to wait until Shizuru texted, or until she returned from the trip. On the same token, she wasn't sure why the whole matter bothered her as much as it did – why was she so anxious over receiving a simple text message? What did it matter to her? Shizuru was busy with her family, and it wasn't as if she'd be gone long – two weeks, maybe. It wasn't as if they texted in long conversations every day while Shizuru was home in Japan either, so relatively-infrequent texts weren't something new. But still…

Realizing that she had been sitting in the same spot, holding the handlebars yet doing nothing with the levers for several minutes, Natsuki shook herself from her thoughts, agitated at herself for becoming hung up on something so trivial. She was about to pull on the clutch when her phone vibrated against her stomach. Her reasoning suddenly forgotten, she quickly pulled on the brake before the bike could roll into motion, clicked the gearshift back into neutral and yanked out her phone. Discovering that it was ringing, she eyed the number only to find "Unknown" flashing on her screen. With puzzled, knit brows, she opened the phone, lifting her helmet up just enough for the earpiece to rest on her ear.

"Hello?" Natsuki offered expectantly.

"Is this Ms. Kuga?" a male voice returned, making Natsuki arch a brow.

"Y-yes, it is?"

"Oh good, I'm calling in regards to your ad," the voice began, the tone light and respectable, though Natsuki detected a hint of an accent. At the biker's uncertain pause, the voice continued, "I have a dog that I would like regularly walked while my wife and I attend classes in the evening," he explained.

"Oh!" Natsuki exclaimed with surprise, the purpose of his call only then hitting her – due to her lack of offers till now, she had forgotten all about her ad. "Oh yeah, that's fine," Natsuki began, getting her bearings, "how many days a week will you need it walked?"

"Twice a week," the voice answered, "if you have the time, would you mind meeting us by the diner where you left the flyer and we can discuss things further? We'll have our dog so that you can meet him."

Excited for her first opportunity, she inwardly grinned, "yes, that's fine. When would you like to meet?"

"Well, we are at the diner now; we saw your ad and just decided to call – we've been looking for a caregiver for our dog for a while now and you sounded perfect," Natsuki couldn't hide her proud smile at the compliment, "would it be okay for you to meet us now? I apologize if it's an inconvenience," he offered with sympathy.

"Um," emerald eyes glanced at her bike before hurriedly adjusting herself atop the leather seat, "no that's fine; I was on my way home anyway. I'll be there in ten minutes." Natsuki informed, clicking her engine out of neutral as she spoke.

"Very well, see you soon then," the voice stated, the light lilt returning before the conversation was ended.

Natsuki snapped her phone shut and once again stuffed it back into her pocket. She gripped the handlebars and quickly took off into the active streets. It wasn't long before she came to the diner; from the road she could see two people standing outside. She suddenly became nervous, hoping that she'll present herself well to the possible side-job. She parked her bike in the small parking lot and removed her helmet. She briefly debated taking her leathers off – would her school uniform be more presentable? Not wanting to take up their time with her conundrum, she soon shrugged and left them on.

She strode to the front of the diner, soon finding the same two people she saw from the road. Upon an initial inspection of them, she realized that they were both foreign: one was very tall and thin, with light hair, his hands in his jean pockets as he conversed with - who she suspected to be - his wife, who was shorter than him but taller than Natsuki. Her hair was deep red, loose around her shoulders and had her arms enveloped over her chest. She was the first to notice Natsuki's approach; she gently tapped her husband's arm, directing his attention to the young girl walking up to them. Natsuki was struck by his blue eyes, and soon realized that they were young for a married couple, not too much older than herself – perhaps mid-twenties, she guessed.

The husband soon turned and strode towards her, "you must be Ms. Kuga?" he smiled brightly, swiftly looking her up and down, "I like your outfit," he grinned appreciatively, wearing a light leather jacket, himself. "Was that you on the sportbike?"

"Yes," Natsuki returned the smile, grinning at the compliment, "thank you for calling me," out of habit, she gave a light bow in gratitude.

The husband's smile soon broadened at the gesture, his wife mirroring him. "Thank you for coming on such short notice," to keep with the culture, he returned the bow, "you see, our classes are starting in a few days and we didn't want to postpone a meeting too far," he explained, "they are on Tuesdays and Thursdays in the evening; if you could just feed him and walk him, that would be great – if you could play with him for an hour or so, that would be even better."

Natsuki smiled, excited once again "okay, that's fine. I have those days off here anyway and I work during the day on the weekends," she informed.

"Great," he exclaimed happily, as though a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. "We'll pay you two-thousand yen a day, is that alright?" he offered experimentally.

Natsuki inwardly quirked a brow – she only made seven-hundred and fifty yen per hour in the diner. _That will definitely help_, Natsuki thought to herself, glad to be given the offer without asking.* Her smile turned humble, "thank you very much, that's plenty. What kind of dog do you have, may I ask?" she asked out of curiosity.

"We'll show you," he smiled again, turning to his wife who was already retrieving the leash from her pocket. They watched as the tall redhead walked to a nearby SUV and opened the large trunk. Within seconds, his wife lassoed a large canine that weaved back and forth excitedly. Once leashed, his wife stepped to the side and let the large dog hop onto the floor behind the car. The dog stood upright, hind legs set behind him and front legs poised; Natsuki noticed its large head and floppy ears, realizing that the dog wasn't _very _large, but certainly muscular. It was, in short, a Pit Bull. His eyes caught Natsuki and, immediately intrigued by her interested disposition, charged, running in place on the asphalt as his wife held him back.

"I'm sorry," she called sympathetically as she slowly walked him forward, his claws scraping and clattering against the cratered road, "he gets excited around new people."

Natsuki couldn't help but grin at his effervescent behavior, finding herself already attached to his big, open mouth that looked reminiscent of a large grin. When he finally came to her, rather than jumping on her like she expected, he swiftly rolled onto his back, presenting his belly. Humored, she smirked, dipping to rub his large chest. He was black all over his body, his face a circle of white.

"What's his name?" Natsuki asked, still rubbing his stomach.

"Kabuki," they answered in unison, smiling at his behavior and their new caregiver's take of him. She chuckled at their choice of name, looking upon his white face once again. "Oh, and I'm Mark Stevens, and this is my wife, Anna," he rubbed the back of his neck, "I apologize for not giving our names sooner."

"That's alright," she began dismissively as she stood up, trying her best to ignore Kabuki's protesting kicks at the retraction of her attention. "When would you like me to start?"

"Would you mind coming next Tuesday? I'll give you our address and we'll meet you there – show you what we do with him and where everything is before we leave?" he suggested kindly, appearing grateful to have found a solution to their dilemma.

"Yes, that would be great. Thank you," Natsuki smiled back appreciatively. They soon exchanged information and, with final words and one last pat onto Kabuki's side from Natsuki's hand, they separated. The cerulean-haired girl retained her excitement till she got back onto her bike. She was happy for her flyer's success and the opportunity to live more independently on the money she earned on her own; it was made even better by the fact that she was doing something that she loved to do – playing with dogs.

With a lingering smile, she rode her bike back through the streets, dipping and weaving till she came to her apartment complex. She rested her bike in an open parking spot, and took off her helmet. Still resting her weight on her bike, she fluffed her hair around her head, offering her cobalt tresses freedom from the snug padding of her helmet. As she did so, she heard a voice above her: "Hey!" Her emerald eyes flicked up, meeting a pair of amethyst ones hanging over her.

Mai smiled brightly as she gave a wide wave from her window, "how'd your session go?" she hollered cheekily, leaning her head out her window, her arms resting on the windowpane.

Natsuki sighed, the dark cloud returning at the mention of Ms. Horiuchi, "I don't want to talk about it!" she bellowed back, earning a laugh from her friend.

"Are you just getting back now? She didn't keep you for that long, did she?" the redhead said with a quirk of her brow in disbelief.

"No," Natsuki then smiled again, "I got a call for my ad - I just met them; two days a week, two-thousand yen a day."

Mai smiled, happy for her friend, "oh, good! Maybe they'll spread the word around for you if they like you," she grinned.

Natsuki chuckled softly, her eyes drifting back down to the floor, "I hope so," she murmured, rubbing the back of her neck with her palm.

"I'm making food, if you wanna come up?" Mai suggested lightly, welcoming the company.

Not having had a good home-cooked meal in a while, emerald eyes drifted back up, smiling, "okay, I might." She often felt happy to have a friend like Mai. Her friend gave a wide smile before retracting her head back into her apartment. Natsuki got off her bike and grabbed her things, headed up to her apartment and, after flicking on the light, threw her belongings onto her small couch. She collapsed beside her things, taking a minute to relax. Her eyes drifted blindly over her low table in front of her knees, inspecting the various items atop it which had accumulated over time since her move to the apartment. One item in particular caught her eye as it glittered against the overhead light – she stared at the gold heart and its chain, which lied limp on the dark table. _I should hide that somewhere, _Natsuki mused, _would kinda ruin the surprise of it if she saw it._ She imagined how the necklace would look on her, and knew it would look beautiful against her hazelnut hair and sun-kissed skin color.

Natsuki remained motionless for another minute before slowly pulling her phone from her leathers. Her thumb caressed its silver casing, eyeing it expressionlessly. After a moment, she flipped it open and searched for Shizuru's name in her inbox. With a few clicks on her small keypad, she opened up a new message pane. She began to type: "Hi. Was offered a job as a dog-walker. I-" she paused then erased it, unhappy with how cold it sounded. She began again: "Hi. How's your trip?" she read the words, somewhat satisfied by them. She continued, letting her mind flow from there, "I got a job as I dog-walker. I met the dog; I think you would have liked him. I miss y-" she stopped short, realizing her words. _Where did…?_ She trailed, a blush creeping upon her face.

She jumped when her phone buzzed in her hand. Flustered by the unexpected notification, she hurriedly clicked the center button on the keypad, opening what appeared to be a text message:

"They've started putting up the Christmas lights here," the message read, "they're pretty. I think you'd like them," a smiley face followed, along with Shizuru's signature.

As Natsuki's emerald eyes scanned the words, she couldn't help the subtle feeling of something rising within her at the sight of the message. She absorbed the message, then quickly hit "Reply" and began to type: "I've heard they're pretty; I don't think I could take the flight, though." Though she knew it might sound like a dry reply to some, Natsuki knew her friend knew her well enough to see the humor the cobalt-haired girl was trying to make. She smirked as she sent it; then held her phone tightly in her hand, unable to suppress the expectant feeling welling up in her chest.

Within a few minutes, her phone buzzed again and she flicked her phone open and hit the center button like she was doing a quick-draw in a western movie. She read the message: "Hehe," Natsuki's smirk curled higher on her face, "In that case, I'll see if I can't bring some of New York to you then."

Natsuki grinned as she quickly typed back, "I'd like that."

Soon, another message came: "I miss you," a winking smiley face accompanied it.

The cerulean-haired girl pinked - surely like Shizuru wanted her to with that message. After a moment, Natsuki hit "Reply" and sheepishly began to write, "I miss you too" but soon paused, once again self-conscious of the rather intimate phrase. She knew there'd be no harm in sending it, really; but, for some reason, she didn't feel brave enough – they weren't words she often spoke. She thought her words over, and then, ignoring the now only somewhat-familiar pain growing in her chest, typed: "Come home soon, Shizuru."

_Several days later…_

Natsuki's phone vibrated and sang against her low table. Natsuki, who was in the kitchen making instant noodles, trotted hurriedly to the phone and answered, "hello?"

"Natsuki! Come downstairs, I have a surprise for you," Shizuru said gleefully over the phone. Natsuki knew that she was due back today, but she didn't expect to see her for at least another day while the older woman got over jet-lag.

"O-okay," Natsuki confirmed uncertainly, unsure if she should tell her friend to just go home and get some rest before showing her any 'surprises'; but Shizuru sounded too excited to turn down. "I'll be down in a minute," she hung up the phone and ran downstairs to the front foyer. Not finding the taller woman, she walked through the door to the parking lot and eventually found the person in question standing next to what she guessed to be her motorcycle draped with green tarp. "What's this?" Natsuki asked.

Shizuru stood readily beside the bike, raising her finger up to her cheek, "well, you know how nervous I get when you're riding your motorcycle in the city," she trailed, waiting for the other girl's acknowledgement of her fears.

"Yes," Natsuki droned, already suspicious of the other woman's intention.

"I'm always afraid of how visible you are on the road, so I thought of something that may help," without offering further information, she took the tarp in her hands and threw it from her bike, revealing a motorcycle wrapped in strings of little, blue LED lights.

Though assailed by the multitude of shining lights, Natsuki's emerald eyes widened at the fluorescent sight, _the hell…?_

"Do you like it?" Shizuru asked cheerfully, the lights calling attention to the older woman's dress-wear, making Natsuki realize that she returned to Japan dressed as fashion-forward as ever – clearly garments picked up from New York's famous, high-end clothing stores.

Natsuki couldn't help but eye her tight, washed jeans and two-inch heels; _is that what she wore on the plane? _she briefly wondered - she had never been on a plane, but she suspected that, for a fourteen-hour trip, one would prefer to wear more practical clothing than Shizuru's constricting attire. The brightness of her bike soon forced her eyes back onto what she assumed to be the 'surprise'. "Um," she trailed, trying to find words, her brows furrowing against the light, "are… are those Christmas lights?" she arched a brow as the realization hit her.

"Yes, battery-powered," the taller woman grinned.

"Ah, that answers my next question," Natsuki muttered, still absorbing what was in front of her. Strings of lights were wrapped every which way around the body of her bike – she had to give Shizuru credit for the effort she seemed to put in to cover as much of the bike as she could with lights.

"Not only will it call attention to you on the road-"

"Well, _that's _certainly true," Natsuki quickly murmured under her breath.

"But, it's festive," Shizuru continued without missing a beat, "and it's a bit of New York," she smiled.

Once again, emerald eyes regarded her suspiciously, "what do you mean?"

"These are some of the decoration-lights from Manhattan," she said matter-of-factly, raising a finger into the air.

Natsuki's jaw nearly hit the floor, "are you telling me you _stole _these from some lamp-post in Manhattan!?"

The older woman gave her friend a look of mock-hurt, "Natsuki, you know I'd never steal; I borrowed it."

'_Borrowed'? _Natsuki arched a brow, _what, did she give the city an IOU for a set of lights?_ She breathed, trying to calm herself, not wanting to know any more details. She ran a hand over her face exasperatedly,"that wasn't exactly what I was intending when I said I'd like a bit of New York, but," Natsuki turned her emerald eyes to her friend, giving her a soft, forgiving look, "thank you, for your trouble."

Shizuru let a warm smile spread across her face at her friend's modest face, "certainly," a minute of silence passed and, without warning, the older woman wrapped her arms around the shorter girl's torso, offering her no reprieve from her embrace "did you miss me, Natsuki?" she grinned playfully.

Though surprised and slightly recoiled by the sudden closeness, Natsuki didn't squirm. A smirk carved across her face despite herself as she answered demurely, "yes," she let a beat pass, "a little."

*I did some research on standard rates of pay in Japan and I figured this would be the most reasonable – within ballpark, at least – offer and response (between foreigner and native, that is). If anyone has a more economically-correct offer, please pm it to me and I'll change it.


End file.
